Punjab Newsline | Morinda/Chandigarh
Former Punjab Chief Minister and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi has openly expressed his displeasure after not being appointed as the Punjab Congress president, triggering fresh political uncertainty within the state unit. Channi convened an emergency meeting of Congress leaders at his residence in Morinda, where discussions with key supporters are currently underway.
The meeting was attended by 26 leaders, including three sitting MLAs, raising speculation that Channi could announce a significant political decision after consulting his loyalists.
Former MLA Darshan Brar, who attended the meeting, claimed that the Congress would struggle to form the next government in Punjab if Channi was not made the state party chief. According to Brar, Channi's name had reportedly been finalized for the post ahead of the announcement, but the party high command ultimately decided to retain Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as the Punjab Congress president.
The leadership dispute comes amid growing signs of unrest within the Punjab Congress. Adding to the speculation, Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa reportedly held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. Randhawa was also seen alongside BJP Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Chugh.
After meeting Shah, Randhawa declined to elaborate on his political future but remarked that the current situation in the Punjab Congress was "unfortunate." He said questions regarding the party's internal condition should be directed to Channi and Raja Warring, adding that such circumstances should not have arisen despite multiple rounds of internal discussions.
The Congress high command recently decided to continue with Raja Warring as the Punjab Congress chief ahead of the crucial Punjab Assembly elections scheduled for February 2027. The decision has reportedly disappointed several senior leaders and intensified internal factionalism within the party.
Among those who attended Channi's meeting were MLAs Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Kala Dhillon, and Rana Gurjit Singh, along with former Deputy Chief Minister O.P. Soni, former ministers Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Gurkirat Singh Kotli, several former MLAs, ex-MP Mohammad Sadiq, and Balkaur Singh, father of late singer Sidhu Moosewala, highlighting the significance of the gathering.
