New Delhi,
With the assembly elections in Punjab almost seven months away, a sense of deja-vu has gripped the Congress party as it faces a rebellion over the leadership question after party high command retained Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as state unit chief. Meanwhile, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the party leadership has knowledge of everything and soon everything will be sorted out.
The Congress, which is battling the internal political storm in Punjab that threatens to overshadow its preparations for the crucial electoral contest has gained momentum after former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi flexed muscles with the party showing his displeasure over the recent appointments and retention of Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as Punjab Congress chief.
His faction leaders, after meeting at his residence on Saturday has given a week time to the leadership to reconsider its decision. Even Channi, who has been appointed as the chairperson of the campaign committee held meetings with Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, chairman of the core committee on Monday and posted a picture with message “unity is strength”.
He, however, kept himself away from meeting state incharge and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday.
Speaking to the media in the national capital, Gehlot said, “In Punjab, whatever is happening following the recent reshuffling is in the knowledge of party high command. And they (party high command) is looking at it. And we all will fight together and will form the next government in Punjab.”.
When asked about Channi flexing muscles with leadership, the senior Congress leader said, “High command has knowledge of it. Even I had a word and high command is looking at it. Even if there are some differences that all will be sorted out “
The internal rift in Congress erupted following the process of discussion that began in the grand old party to decide on state leadership taking shape into a full blown factional battle, presenting the Congress high command with a major organisational challenge in Punjab as the position of the state unit chief has become the focal point of the party’s internal power struggle.
The latest internal rumblings or factionalism emerged after the recent local body elections.
Party sources said that the Congress performed strongly in areas represented by Channi, in respect to the party’s showing in Warring’s political turf, where the results were underwhelming.
The source claimed that Channi sensed opportunity and with support of his camp leaders intensified his demand for Warring’s replacement as state unit chief.
The Congress leadership, however, decided against making any abrupt changes.
Meanwhile, another source siding with the leadership decision said that Warring was appointed state unit chief following the defeat in 2022 assembly polls and played a crucial role in party’s good performance during the 2024 general polls where the party won six out of 13 parliamentary constituencies.
Sources also pointed out that the high command held nearly eight rounds of consultations before arriving at a decision.
The high command was not in hurry, as it wanted to have a detailed assessment by Baghel and recommendations from a committee headed by senior party leader Ajay Maken, the source said.
Eventually, the leadership chose to retain Warring as Punjab Congress president while attempting to balance competing ambitions by distributing key organisational responsibilities among senior leaders.
The party source also said that the recent appointments were also designed to maintain social balance by ensuring representation for Punjab’s major communities, including Jat Sikhs, Dalit Sikhs and Hindus.
A party insider, meanwhile, stated that the Campaign Committee chief is often regarded as the party’s unofficial Chief Ministerial candidate when it is in the Opposition, thus making Channi’s appointment politically significant.
Despite these efforts, the leadership’s balancing act appears to have failed to pacify the dissenting camp.
The source while commenting on Baghel’s visit to Punjab said that his visit was officially planned to finalise the schedule for the Congress’s proposed statewide yatra, expected to be flagged off by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
But the changed situation in the state prompted Baghel to convene meetings of all the newly constituted election committees.
According to sources, leaders belonging to the dissident camp have, for now, decided to stay away from these meetings.
Even Warring, while speaking to the media in Chandigarh on Tuesday said that we have a PCC meeting scheduled today.
“Following that, there is a meeting with the district presidents. Channi Sahab had clarified yesterday and he had stated that he would be away for a day or two. Baghel ji spoke to him; when Baghel ji addressed the press yesterday evening, he clarified that Channi sahab is out of town for two days and would meet later.”
“Two chairmen came and met us, while two others said they would meet Randhawa ji and Channi ji in a day or two. Apart from that, no one else has been called,” Warring added.
However, Channi’s absence from the meeting with incharge has forced many leaders to draw parallels with the 2022 Rajasthan political crisis, when legislators skipped a Congress Legislature Party meeting convened by observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Maken.
The incident was widely interpreted within the party as an act of defiance against the high command.
Party sources said that a similar boycott of meetings convened by Baghel would not merely be viewed as a snub to the incharge, but it will seen as a direct challenge to the Congress leadership”.
The source said that the coming days are expected to be crucial for the party in Punjab. The party high command is reluctant to yield to pressure from the dissident camp, fearing that any compromise could encourage similar revolts in other state units.
The source also added that the current rift and challenge by Channi is also being viewed as test of authority of the leadership and not a mere state level issue.
