Senior Congress leaders considered close to former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi are scheduled to meet the party's Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday. The meeting comes amid ongoing discussions over the Punjab Congress leadership ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring confirmed that the meeting had been fixed by Bhupesh Baghel. He said Baghel would meet the leaders separately. According to sources, leaders including Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Rana Gurjit Singh are expected to attend the meeting.
When asked if the Channi camp had insisted that Warring should not be present during the meeting, Warring said he did not know anything about such a demand.
Responding to questions about when he would be seen with Channi again, Warring said, "In a day or two, you will see us all together." He also said that he did not hold any grudge against any leader and maintained that the Punjab Congress was united.
Reporters also asked Warring about reports claiming that the Channi camp was unhappy with his continuation as Punjab Congress president. Warring rejected the claim and challenged reporters to name even one senior leader who had publicly refused to accept his leadership. He mentioned leaders including Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Aruna Chaudhary and Partap Singh Bajwa.
The meeting comes after senior leaders close to Channi agreed to meet Bhupesh Baghel. Earlier, Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh had said that they would present their views before the party leadership.
Bhupesh Baghel, who is also the former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, arrived in Punjab earlier this week to prepare the Congress for the Assembly elections due in early 2027. His visit, originally planned for five days, has now been extended by three more days.
Since arriving in Punjab, Baghel has been holding meetings with party leaders and office-bearers to strengthen the organisation before the elections. However, Channi and some leaders considered close to him had not met Baghel until now.
According to reports, Channi is believed to be unhappy after not being appointed as the Punjab Congress president. On July 1, the Congress high command decided to retain Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as the state party president while appointing Channi as chairman of the party's campaign committee.
Asked about comments made by Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Warring described him as an elder brother and senior leader. He said he did not believe Randhawa was upset with him and added that he would speak to him personally.
Senior Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also addressed the media with Warring. When asked about reports of factionalism in the Punjab Congress, she expressed confidence that the party would form the next government in Punjab.
Shrinate said that differences of opinion are natural in politics and that Congress leaders eventually come together. She said every leader has ambition, but the party values discussion and debate. According to her, what many people call factionalism is actually the presence of multiple strong leaders within the Congress.
She also said the Congress does not function on the orders of one individual and that leaders may disagree but continue to work together for the party. Shrinate expressed confidence that all issues within the Punjab Congress would be resolved.
Earlier this week, Bhupesh Baghel had also ruled out any change in the Punjab Congress leadership. He said the party high command's decision would not be changed and stressed that the Congress respects the contribution and seniority of all its leaders.
Leaders including Pargat Singh and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa have also said that the Congress remains united and focused on returning to power in Punjab after the 2027 Assembly elections, while acknowledging that some differences of opinion exist within the party.