CHANDIGARH: Amid ongoing factionalism in the Punjab Congress, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa met senior party leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi outside Parliament House in Delhi on Wednesday and discussed the situation in the state unit ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Bajwa met Gandhi outside Parliament House in the presence of Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal.
It is learnt that a dinner meeting was held on Tuesday at the Delhi residence of Gurdaspur MP and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. The meeting was attended by Jalandhar MP and former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya, Bajwa, and MLAs Rana Gurjit Singh and Pargat Singh.
Sources said the leaders discussed the prevailing political situation in the state unit and concerns emerging within the party. During the meeting, it was felt that MPs and senior leaders should approach the high command and brief the central leadership about the latest developments.
“They had asked Bajwa to get them time from Rahul for the meeting, as they have approached him but have not been given time so far,” said a leader on condition of anonymity.
The move is significant as it comes amid efforts by Punjab Congress MLAs to seek the intervention of the central leadership. The parallel move by legislators, MPs and senior leaders indicates that differences within the state unit are no longer confined to individual leaders.
Sources said that a few days ago, 15 Punjab Congress MLAs wrote to Gandhi seeking a meeting with him. A party legislator confirmed that the letter had been sent, but did not divulge the purpose of the proposed meeting. The development comes amid ongoing infighting in the Punjab Congress.
Ghubaya has already openly opposed Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, making his participation in the latest consultations particularly significant. With another group of senior leaders now seeking direct access to the party high command, attention is likely to remain focused on how the central leadership responds to the growing dissent.
During the party’s ‘Har Booth, Congress Mazboot’ campaign from July 31 to August 8, infighting was on open display, with supporters of former Chief Minister Channi raising slogans in his favour and verbal clashes breaking out between supporters of Channi and Warring at several meetings. “Go back Baghel” posters also surfaced in Muktsar, Bathinda and other places.
The infighting came to the fore when the Congress leadership, on July 1, announced its decision to retain Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as state unit chief and appointed former Chief Minister Channi as chairperson of its campaign committee. Channi’s supporters have been demanding that he be declared the party’s chief ministerial face for the 2027 Assembly elections.