New Delhi:
The impasse entered its third day on Wednesday, with Channi and several senior leaders from his camp staying away from Baghel’s ongoing meetings in the state. The standoff has exposed sharp factional fault lines within the Punjab Congress at a time when the party is trying to project organisational unity ahead of the Assembly polls.
According to party sources, senior leaders have been trying to bring the warring factions together. Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa are learnt to have met Channi at his residence on Wednesday as part of efforts to end the deadlock.
A senior Congress leader who met Channi said reconciliation efforts were underway and that an “amicable solution” could be made public soon. However, the leader also said the central leadership had firmly conveyed that the decision to continue Warring as Punjab Congress president and Bajwa as CLP leader would not be changed.
Baghel, speaking to the media in Chandigarh earlier in the day, also underlined the high command’s position. He said meetings of the state Congress committee and district Congress committees had taken place on Tuesday, where leaders “unanimously supported” the decisions taken by the high command and expressed gratitude over Warring’s reappointment.
“Once the high command makes a decision, it does not change. This is not a game of dolls to be altered repeatedly,” Baghel said, sending a clear message to the dissenting camp.
Sources said Channi may meet Baghel only after consulting leaders from his own camp. One insider said Channi would first seek their views on what options should be placed before the state in-charge. The meeting, if it takes place, could be held at a neutral venue rather than the state party headquarters.
The unrest began after internal discussions over the state leadership turned into a factional battle, with the post of Punjab Congress president becoming the centre of the power struggle. Channi, who had sought reconsideration of Warring’s appointment, is said to have been eyeing the post himself. His demand, however, was rejected by the high command.
The firmness shown by Baghel has fuelled speculation that the dissenting camp could harden its stance. Some leaders believe the situation may push Channi, Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and their supporters towards more drastic options, including a possible defection or the formation of a separate political platform. Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari has also expressed unhappiness over recent decisions concerning the Punjab unit.
Party insiders say the crisis has been complicated by the silence around Rahul Gandhi, who was expected to return from abroad recently. His unwillingness to directly engage with disgruntled leaders, they claim, has allowed the situation to worsen. There is a growing perception within a section of the party that the leadership is prepared to let dissenters leave rather than reopen decisions already taken.
A similar churn is being witnessed in Goa, where the replacement of Amit Patkar with Girish Chodankar as state Congress president in May triggered open dissent. Some disgruntled leaders have announced plans to form a separate “Goa Congress Party”. Attempts by organisation general secretary K.C. Venugopal to resolve the matter during his Goa visit are said to have further aggravated tensions.
The Goa situation has also seen complaints reaching the top leadership, with party leader Shamila Siddiqui reportedly emailing Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday and levelling serious allegations against Venugopal. Sources said a heated exchange also took place between the two leaders.
Against this backdrop, the Punjab crisis has acquired wider significance. Sources claim the BJP is watching developments closely and preparing for a major political operation in the state. One possible strategy, they said, is to encourage a split in the Congress and facilitate the emergence of a new political formation involving leaders from different factions. Another option could be to induct disgruntled Congress leaders and explore a direct or friendly arrangement with the Akalis.
The broader objective, according to these sources, is to marginalise the Congress in Punjab and position the electoral battle as one between the Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP.
For now, much depends on whether Channi agrees to meet Baghel and whether the high command can contain the rebellion without altering its decision on Warring. But the message from the leadership appears clear: the appointments in Punjab will stay, even if that risks further unrest within the state unit.
