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 the party's Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel is set to take place shortly at the Chandigarh residence of Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh.
Although the Congress high command had reportedly advised Channi to attend the meeting with only two or three leaders, a large number of his supporters and senior Congress leaders gathered at the venue in what is being viewed as a show of strength. Notably, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has not been invited to the meeting.
Ahead of the discussions, the Channi camp intensified pressure on the party leadership by demanding that Charanjit Singh Channi be declared the Congress' chief ministerial face for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Leaders from the faction argued that if the high command is unwilling to replace Raja Warring as the state unit chief, it should project Channi as the party's CM candidate so that the Congress can seek votes in his name across Punjab.
The meeting comes as the Congress leadership attempts to contain growing internal dissent in the Punjab unit. According to party sources, Bhupesh Baghel agreed to meet Channi on conditions laid down by the former Chief Minister. These included excluding Raja Warring from the talks and holding the meeting outside the Congress Bhawan. The high command has already made it clear that Raja Warring will continue as the Punjab Congress president.
Several senior Congress leaders from the Channi camp attended the meeting, including former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, former MP Mohammad Sadiq, former minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar, former minister Tript Rajinder Bajwa, MLA Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia, MLA Kuldeep Singh Kala Dhillon, Malvika Sood Moga, Sangat Singh Gilzian, and a number of former MLAs including Ajeetinder Singh Mofar, Pirmal Singh, Jagdev Singh Kamalu, Madan Lal Jalalpur, Davinder Singh Ghubaya, Harpartap Singh Ajnala, Inderbir Singh Bularia, Karan Kaur Brar, Lakhbir Singh Lakha, Darshan Singh Brar and former minister Gurkirat Singh Kotli.
