Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi's supporters gathered at his residence in Morinda, Punjab, on Friday, with several former MLAs demanding that he be appointed the state Congress chief.
The development comes after the party's central leadership decided to retain Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as the Punjab Congress president.
The announcement to retain Warring was made on Wednesday, alongside the unveiling of the party's various committees for the 2027 Assembly elections.
Before supporters began gathering at Channi's residence in Morinda, some former party MLAs who had reached the venue told reporters that if the Congress was to return to power in Punjab in next year's Assembly elections, the former chief minister should be appointed state unit president.
Channi is said to be miffed at not being appointed to the post and is learnt to have not even made the customary call to thank the party leadership following the new appointments.
The former chief minister's supporters have expressed disappointment over his not being given the post, for which the former Punjab chief minister had been lobbying.
Those who reached Channi's residence included former deputy chief minister OP Soni, former ministers Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Gurpreet Singh Kangar, former MP Mohd Sadiq, sitting MLA Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, and former MLAs Nazar Singh Manshahia, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Lakhvir Singh Lakha, Darshan Singh Brar and Tarsem Singh.
Before the meeting, several of Channi's supporters, including former MLAs, backed his candidature and demanded that the party hand over the reins of the Punjab Congress to the former chief minister.
Former MLA Darshan Singh Brar said, "If Channi is not made the state president, the Congress cannot form its government in Punjab. Under Warring's leadership, the Congress cannot come to power".
Gurpreet Kangar said, "We have to go to people to seek votes and people want Channi as the state chief."
Amid speculation over a change in the leadership of its Punjab unit, the Congress decided to retain Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as the state unit president.
Jalandhar MP Channi, a Dalit leader who was seen as one of the main contenders for the post of Punjab Congress chief, has been appointed chairperson of the campaign committee, a key position responsible for strategising and planning the party's poll campaign.
The party also retained Partap Singh Bajwa as the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
Gurdaspur MP and former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has been appointed chairperson of the core committee.
In a bid to check factionalism, the party accommodated several leaders in different committees for the Assembly elections due next year in the state.
Channi and Randhawa were seen as the main contenders for the post of state unit president.
(With inputs from PTI)