The internal power struggle in the Punjab Congress appears to be entering a new phase as former Punjab Chief Minister and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi and his supporters have begun softening their public stance after facing a firm response from the party's central leadership and for the past several days, Channi and a group of leaders had openly questioned the Congress High Command's decision to continue with Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as the Punjab Congress president however, recent developments suggest that the tone of the Channi camp has become less confrontational, even though differences within the party have not been fully resolved.
Leaders considered close to Channi have now publicly stated that they have no personal grievances and that the matter should be resolved within the party, Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said that the Punjab Congress is united and that all issues will be settled collectively, Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjit Singh also downplayed the dispute, saying that "all is well" within the Congress while Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh similarly stated that there is no deadlock in the party and according to party sources, two leaders from the Channi camp, including MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, are expected to meet AICC Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel to present their side.
Before deciding to approach Bhupesh Baghel, Charanjit Singh Channi had reportedly tried to secure a meeting in Delhi with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, or members of their team however, he was unable to get an appointment and following this, leaders from the Channi faction held a third meeting at the Chandigarh residence of Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjit Singh and during this meeting, they decided that their concerns would instead be presented before Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel.
Bhupesh Baghel, who arrived in Punjab on July 6 for a five-day visit, has repeatedly stated that the Congress High Command's decision regarding the Punjab leadership will not change and he made it clear that the party leadership has already decided to continue with Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as the Punjab Congress president, Baghel also dismissed the ongoing disagreement, saying that this is not a matter where decisions can be changed through pressure or stubbornness and according to him, Channi and his supporters must accept the High Command's decision.
During his visit to Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel held meetings with Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee leaders, district presidents and senior party leaders and he also collected feedback from different levels of the organisation regarding the internal situation in the state unit and after completing these discussions, Baghel submitted a detailed report to Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal in Delhi, following discussions on the report, Baghel was reportedly authorised by the High Command to take a final stand on the issue and he later announced that the decision would not be changed and that Raja Warring would continue as Punjab Congress president.
Baghel also pointed to the organisational support available to Raja Warring and while the Channi camp claims support from seven MLAs and one MP, Baghel said that 23 district Congress presidents are backing Raja Warring. District presidents play an important role in organising party workers and preparing for elections, which is one of the reasons the High Command continues to place its confidence in Warring.
Leaders from the Channi faction have alleged that Bhupesh Baghel is not presenting the complete picture to the Congress High Command and despite these claims, Channi himself has remained largely silent in recent days, on Wednesday, Channi attended meetings with Congress councillors regarding the Morinda Municipal Council elections and later returned to his residence and he did not travel to Chandigarh to meet Bhupesh Baghel, similarly, Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa stayed away from public appearances for several days and also did not attend Baghel's meetings.
Other leaders considered part of the Channi camp, including MLA Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Punjab Congress Working President Sangat Singh Gilzian, also did not participate in Baghel's meetings and later in the evening, Channi issued a statement saying that Rahul Gandhi remains his leader. Apart from this statement, he has not publicly commented further on the ongoing disagreement.
Speaking to the media, Rana Gurjit Singh said the meeting held at his residence mainly focused on the manner in which the Kapurthala mayoral election was conducted and he clarified that he had neither met Bhupesh Baghel nor spoken to him over the phone and according to Rana, he has spoken with Suraj Thakur and plans to meet him, he also said that no individual is above the Congress High Command and that everything would eventually be resolved. When asked about discussions with the High Command, he described them as an internal party matter.
However, if the group begins to weaken or split, Channi's bargaining power within the party is likely to reduce significantly but for now, the Congress High Command has maintained its position that Amrinder Singh Raja Warring will continue to lead the Punjab unit, while the Channi camp appears to be adopting a more restrained approach as discussions within the party continue.
