Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
A crucial meeting between the rebel faction of the Punjab Congress led by former Chief Minister and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi and AICC in-charge Bhupesh Baghel lasted nearly two hours at the Chandigarh residence of MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh on Friday. Baghel is scheduled to leave for Delhi later in the day.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said he had been in Chandigarh for the past five days and had met leaders from across the party. He added that Rana Gurjeet had invited him for the meeting, where party leaders shared their concerns.
Baghel said there was no objection to the Congress high command's decisions. However, several issues were raised by party workers and leaders. He assured them that, as the party's in-charge, he would protect everyone's interests and ensure that only deserving and winnable candidates receive tickets for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. He also promised to submit a detailed report to the Congress high command.
Despite being asked by the high command to meet only two or three leaders, Channi arrived with nearly 80 supporters, turning the gathering into a show of strength. Ahead of the meeting, the Channi camp renewed its demand that Channi be declared the Congress' chief ministerial face for the 2027 Assembly elections.
The rebel leaders argued that if the party is unwilling to appoint Channi as the Punjab Congress president, it should at least project him as the CM candidate so that votes can be sought in his name. The Congress high command has already made it clear that state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring will not be replaced. In line with the Channi camp's condition, Warring was not invited to the meeting.
Meanwhile, Warring said he chose not to attend because it was the responsibility of the party's general secretary in charge to mediate internal discussions. He insisted that the meeting itself reflected unity within the Congress.
In a parallel political message, former Congress MLA Kulbir Singh Zira, a supporter of Warring, shared a social media post during the meeting with a caption stating that while there may be many jackals and animals in the jungle, there is only one lion who rules the forest alone—widely seen as a symbolic message amid the ongoing leadership tussle within the Punjab Congress.
