The Congress leadership has started taking serious steps to address the ongoing internal differences in its Punjab unit, on Wednesday, senior Congress leader and Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel submitted his detailed report to AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal after completing a six-day consultation with party leaders in Punjab.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Venugopal at his residence, Baghel said the report was prepared only after holding detailed discussions with leaders from different parts of the state and said he met party leaders both in group meetings at the Punjab Congress Committee office and through one-on-one interactions before finalising the report.
"I met leaders from across the state, both in meetings at the Punjab Congress Committee office and through one-to-one interactions. Based on those discussions, I have submitted my report to Venugopal," Baghel said.
The report comes at a time when the Punjab Congress has been witnessing growing internal disagreements over its leadership ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, several senior leaders have openly expressed concerns about the party's current direction and leadership in recent weeks.
Amid strong speculation that the Congress may soon replace Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Baghel made it clear that no decision would be taken in haste and he said there has been no resignation from Raja Warring so far, more importantly, he dismissed suggestions that the Congress leadership would make quick changes under pressure.
Baghel said leadership decisions cannot be treated like "a game of puppets or dolls." His remarks indicated that the party high command wants to carefully examine every opinion and piece of feedback before taking any final decision and his statement also suggests that the Congress leadership is trying to avoid rushed decisions and instead wants to build consensus before making any organisational changes in Punjab.
Baghel had spent six days in Punjab meeting leaders from different districts and factions of the party, during this period, he held discussions with nearly 92 leaders, including sitting MLAs, former MLAs and senior party functionaries.
The consultation exercise was aimed at understanding the mood within the party and gathering honest feedback on the functioning of the Punjab Congress. According to reports, many leaders who met Baghel said they did not have any personal differences with Raja Warring, however, several of them reportedly expressed doubts over whether he could successfully lead the Congress back to power in the 2027 Assembly elections.
Many prominent Congress leaders participated in the consultation process. Those who met Baghel included former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Aruna Chaudhary, OP Soni, Pargat Singh, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, their views are expected to play an important role in the high command's assessment of the current political situation in Punjab.
On Wednesday, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa also reached Venugopal's residence in Delhi as discussions over the Punjab Congress crisis continued.
The latest developments come a day after senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held an important meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and K.C. Venugopal to discuss the ongoing factionalism in the Punjab Congress and the meeting focused on the internal dispute within the state unit and possible ways to strengthen the party before the next Assembly elections. The Congress leadership is understood to be closely monitoring the situation, as Punjab remains one of the key states where the party hopes to improve its electoral performance in 2027.
Although rumours about a leadership change continue to circulate, the Congress has not announced any decision so far, Baghel's comments indicate that the high command wants to complete its review before making any organisational changes. The report submitted by Baghel is expected to serve as the basis for future discussions among the party's top leadership.
The Congress high command will now examine the findings of the report along with the feedback received from senior leaders before taking a final call on the party's leadership and organisational structure in Punjab.