Bhupesh Baghel meets Channi as Punjab Congress internal rift widens
Bhupesh Baghel met Charanjit Singh Channi and his supporters in Chandigarh amid Punjab Congress friction. The outreach let the Channi camp formally air concerns even as the high command stood by Raja Warring.
Amid the continuing tussle over the Punjab Congress leadership, AICC general secretary in-charge for the state Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday met leaders close to Jalandhar MP and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, but the nearly two-hour closed-door meeting failed to break the deadlock over the party's leadership in the state.
While Baghel maintained that no one was opposing the Congress high command's decisions, leaders from the Channi camp reiterated their demand for the removal of Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.
The meeting came days after the Congress decided to retain Warring as Punjab unit president and appoint Channi as chairperson of the campaign committee. Warring was not part of Saturday's meeting, which was held as the party steps up preparations for the 2027 Punjab Assembly polls.
Held at senior Punjab Congress leader and MLA Rana Gurjit Singh's Sector 4 residence in Chandigarh, the meeting was attended by Channi along with several senior leaders from his camp. Baghel reached the venue around 12.15 pm and left for Chhattisgarh after the meeting. Warring later joined him on the way to the airport.
Sources said several leaders, including Channi, former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and others, strongly pressed for Warring's removal during the discussions. However, Baghel sought to play down the differences, insisting that the meeting was aimed at hearing the concerns of party leaders rather than questioning the high command's decision.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Baghel said that since arriving in Punjab on Monday, he had been meeting leaders across the state and interacting with different committees as the Congress prepares for the Assembly elections.
"We spoke to all colleagues. They kept their views. Nobody is against the decision of the party high command; they are all with the high command. There are certain apprehensions and issues that colleagues have conveyed to me, and as the general secretary in-charge, I will take those up with the high command. I will ensure everyone's interests are protected and due representation is given," he said.
When asked whether demands for Warring's removal were raised during the meeting, Baghel denied that such an issue had figured in the discussions.
However, leaders emerging from the meeting painted a different picture. Former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said the group had clearly conveyed its demands to Baghel and stressed that the Congress needed strong leadership if it wanted to return to power in Punjab in 2027.
"We have clearly told him what our demands are. We want the Congress to win the 2027 Assembly elections. We want a strong leader and not a compromised leader," Randhawa said without naming anyone.
Claiming that around 92 party leaders attended the meeting, Randhawa said they had informed Baghel that their only objective was to bring the Congress back to power in Punjab. "Political parties do change their decisions at times," he remarked, adding that the state unit required a leader capable of effectively taking on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Before entering the meeting, Channi had avoided commenting directly on Warring's continuation as state chief. Asked whether Warring's leadership was acceptable, he had said, "Everything will be discussed in the meeting. You know from the beginning what our stand is." He later added, "Baaki tel dekhenge tel ki dhaar dekhenge."
The meeting was attended by Channi, Randhawa, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, former deputy chief minister O P Soni, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Barinder Dhillon, Sher Singh Ghubaya and several former ministers, MLAs, MPs and party office-bearers, underlining what appeared to be a show of strength by the Channi camp.
The latest round of discussions comes amid an open divide in the Punjab Congress ever since the party high command retained Warring as state president on July 1. Channi and several leaders close to him had earlier skipped meetings with Baghel before eventually agreeing to present before him what they described as the sentiments of party workers.
Responding to Randhawa's remarks, Warring questioned the reference to a "compromised leader". "Who is compromised? Has he taken any name? Then why are you indicating towards me?" he asked.
Warring added that he agreed with Randhawa's assertion that "sleeper cells and compromised leaders have no place" in the party, alleging that some leaders maintained links with the BJP. "Randhawa and I worked together for four-and-a-half years.
If I was compromised, he would not have stayed with me," Warring said. Reacting to Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar's remarks describing him as a compromised leader, Warring hit back, saying Jakhar himself had left the Congress and calling him "a traitor."
Amid the continuing tussle over the Punjab Congress leadership, AICC general secretary in-charge for the state Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday met leaders close to Jalandhar MP and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, but the nearly two-hour closed-door meeting failed to break the deadlock over the party's leadership in the state.
While Baghel maintained that no one was opposing the Congress high command's decisions, leaders from the Channi camp reiterated their demand for the removal of Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.
The meeting came days after the Congress decided to retain Warring as Punjab unit president and appoint Channi as chairperson of the campaign committee. Warring was not part of Saturday's meeting, which was held as the party steps up preparations for the 2027 Punjab Assembly polls.
Held at senior Punjab Congress leader and MLA Rana Gurjit Singh's Sector 4 residence in Chandigarh, the meeting was attended by Channi along with several senior leaders from his camp. Baghel reached the venue around 12.15 pm and left for Chhattisgarh after the meeting. Warring later joined him on the way to the airport.
Sources said several leaders, including Channi, former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and others, strongly pressed for Warring's removal during the discussions. However, Baghel sought to play down the differences, insisting that the meeting was aimed at hearing the concerns of party leaders rather than questioning the high command's decision.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Baghel said that since arriving in Punjab on Monday, he had been meeting leaders across the state and interacting with different committees as the Congress prepares for the Assembly elections.
"We spoke to all colleagues. They kept their views. Nobody is against the decision of the party high command; they are all with the high command. There are certain apprehensions and issues that colleagues have conveyed to me, and as the general secretary in-charge, I will take those up with the high command. I will ensure everyone's interests are protected and due representation is given," he said.
When asked whether demands for Warring's removal were raised during the meeting, Baghel denied that such an issue had figured in the discussions.
However, leaders emerging from the meeting painted a different picture. Former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said the group had clearly conveyed its demands to Baghel and stressed that the Congress needed strong leadership if it wanted to return to power in Punjab in 2027.
"We have clearly told him what our demands are. We want the Congress to win the 2027 Assembly elections. We want a strong leader and not a compromised leader," Randhawa said without naming anyone.
Claiming that around 92 party leaders attended the meeting, Randhawa said they had informed Baghel that their only objective was to bring the Congress back to power in Punjab. "Political parties do change their decisions at times," he remarked, adding that the state unit required a leader capable of effectively taking on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Before entering the meeting, Channi had avoided commenting directly on Warring's continuation as state chief. Asked whether Warring's leadership was acceptable, he had said, "Everything will be discussed in the meeting. You know from the beginning what our stand is." He later added, "Baaki tel dekhenge tel ki dhaar dekhenge."
The meeting was attended by Channi, Randhawa, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, former deputy chief minister O P Soni, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Barinder Dhillon, Sher Singh Ghubaya and several former ministers, MLAs, MPs and party office-bearers, underlining what appeared to be a show of strength by the Channi camp.
The latest round of discussions comes amid an open divide in the Punjab Congress ever since the party high command retained Warring as state president on July 1. Channi and several leaders close to him had earlier skipped meetings with Baghel before eventually agreeing to present before him what they described as the sentiments of party workers.
Responding to Randhawa's remarks, Warring questioned the reference to a "compromised leader". "Who is compromised? Has he taken any name? Then why are you indicating towards me?" he asked.
Warring added that he agreed with Randhawa's assertion that "sleeper cells and compromised leaders have no place" in the party, alleging that some leaders maintained links with the BJP. "Randhawa and I worked together for four-and-a-half years.
If I was compromised, he would not have stayed with me," Warring said. Reacting to Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar's remarks describing him as a compromised leader, Warring hit back, saying Jakhar himself had left the Congress and calling him "a traitor."
