The rift between the Punjab Congress leadership worsened on Saturday after senior party leader Sujinder Singh Randhawa, speaking to reporters after a meeting between Punjab AICC in-charge Bhupesh Baghel and leaders close to former Prime Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, said the party needs a “strongly speaking leader” and “not a condescending leader”.
Chaney, seen as a camp leader who wants to be the face of the Prime Minister, was standing next to Randhawa, nodding but not speaking.
State unit chief Amarinder Singh Raja Waring – whose retention by the national leadership was the immediate cause of the rift – responded sharply. “Who was in danger? Did he take any names? If not, why are you referring to me? Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa is absolutely right: If anyone is in danger, he cannot stay with us,” Waring said.
“We don’t need any sleeper cell or infiltrated leader in our party,” Waring also told PTI.
He said several leaders faced accusations of meeting with leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Jihado Party, referring to Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party and its symbol of a broom. “Whatever issues there are between Sujinder Singh Randhawa and me, we will resolve them soon,” he added.
Randhawa actually did not mention Warring’s name directly. He said the discussions at the meeting focused on strengthening the party and addressing concerns of grassroots workers over the revival of the Congress in Punjab, and that “it was also mentioned that sometimes decisions have to be reversed in the party.”
When Baghel was asked about this statement, he said that he agreed with this opinion in principle. “Yes, I agree that any leader who is compromised will not succeed. If the BJP is compromised, it will not succeed. It is my responsibility that I will not allow that to happen,” he said.
Baghel: An informal meeting, and the face of the Prime Minister has not been determined
The exchange came after an 80-minute meeting held by Baghel on Saturday with Chani and leaders close to him, including Randhawa, Bharat Bhushan Ashu and opposition leader Partap Singh Bajwa, at Congress leader Rana Gurjit Singh’s residence in Chandigarh. The warring did not attend.
Baghel told PTI that the sit-in was not an official party meeting. “Rana Gurjit called me, so I went to meet him… When you stay as a family, there are many conversations that happen, which are not disclosed publicly,” he said.
He also dismissed speculation that Channi could be the party’s chief ministerial face in the 2027 elections. “This is not true. No such talk has taken place. We just want Congress to form the government,” he said.
Chani was made Prime Minister briefly before the 2022 elections, which the party lost, as Captain Amarinder Singh was sacked in an intra-party coup at that time as well.
Partap Singh Bajwa described the meeting as the “culmination” of a long-standing demand among party workers. “Bagel ji listened to everyone patiently for over two hours and assured us that he would convey everything word by word to the high command. He also promised to resolve any outstanding concerns or issues,” he told PTI, without sharing details.
The rift is out in the open
This rift goes back to July 1, when the Congress high command retained Waring as Punjab unit chief and appointed Chani as campaign committee chairman.
Chani, who was reportedly upset over not being appointed state president, skipped a series of meetings held by Baghel with party leaders and officials after he arrived in Punjab on July 6 for a five-day visit, as did several leaders close to him.
Baghel repeatedly ruled out any change in leadership during the week. “Once the high command takes a decision, it does not change. Koi gudda-guddi ka khel hai kya, ki baar-baar nirnay badla jayega? (Is it a child’s game in which we will keep changing things),” he said on July 9.
Baghel also defended the retention of Waring, citing his organizational work and the party’s performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the Congress won seven of Punjab’s 13 seats.
For his part, Chani stressed that he is not against the party and continues to say that Rahul Gandhi is still its leader, while stopping short of commenting on the rebellion of the leaders who support him.
Punjab is due to go to assembly elections in early 2027, with the AAP, which won a landslide to oust the Congress in 2022, hoping to capitalize on a rift in the main opposition party.
