Cracks open in Punjab Congress as Channi camp skips Baghel’s exit meetings

Punjab Congress President Bhupesh Baghel arrived in Chandigarh on Monday to iron out differences within the state unit and lay the groundwork for the assembly polls. | Photo credit: PTI

Punjab Congress president Bhupesh Baghel met several state leaders on Tuesday, even as a section of disgruntled leaders reportedly camped in New Delhi to seek a meeting with the party’s central leadership amid ongoing infighting within the state unit. Former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa were conspicuous by their absence from the meetings convened by Mr Baghel.

State Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, however, downplayed the ongoing crisis and said Mr Channi would meet Mr Baghel within a day or two.

The reshuffle of the Punjab Congress on July 1, ahead of parliamentary polls due in early 2027, sparked internal unrest.

Mr. Baghel, who arrived in Chandigarh on Monday to iron out differences and lay the groundwork for the assembly polls, called a meeting of district Congress committee presidents. He also met several party leaders including Partap Singh Bajwa, Amar Singh, Vijay Inder Singla, Rana KP Singh, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Hardial Kamboj, Kuljeet Nagra, Brahm Mohindra, Balbir Sidhu and Shamsher Dullo and others.

Mr Warring said: “Our responsible state met the heads of various committees on Monday, except for two of them. Charanjit Singh Channi and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who heads the main committee, will soon both meet Bhupesh Baghel,” Mr Warring said, adding that Mr Channi had told Mr Baghel he would be away for a day or two.

While Mr Warring was retained as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief in the recent reshuffle, Mr Channi was appointed to head the campaign committee ahead of the assembly elections. A few days later, however, a meeting of several party leaders and workers was held at Mr. Channi’s Morinda residence. Another meeting was held in Mohali on Monday. According to party insiders, the Lok Sabha MP is upset about the reshuffle and the meetings were meant to convey his displeasure to the party high command as he expected to be either appointed as the PPCC chief or the chief ministerial face of the party.

“Dalit representation”

Last year, Mr Channi had called for “greater representation of Dalits” in the party, pointing out that Dalits were not getting proper representation, bringing the disunity in the party to the fore.

The former chief minister faced a setback in the 2022 assembly elections when the Congress suffered a defeat. As the chief ministerial face of the party, he lost both the Assembly seats—Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur—for which he contested, triggering a check on his leadership.

However, he made a comeback by winning the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 general election.

Published – 8 Jul 2026 0:50 AM IST