CHANDIGARH: Amid a deepening factional feud in the Punjab Congress, senior party leader Rahul Gandhi is learnt to be reluctant to meet former Punjab chief minister and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi, with the party high command reportedly not inclined to replace Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as the state unit chief.
After meeting Congress general secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, Channi said the party leadership had heard his side and that he would abide by whatever decision the high command takes. He also ruled out taking any step that could embarrass the party.
Sources said Channi's request for an appointment with Rahul, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha has not received any confirmation so far.
Earlier in the day, Channi and former Punjab deputy chief minister and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa met AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala in Delhi ahead of another round of discussions by the party leadership to address infighting in the state unit.
According to sources, Channi told Venugopal that Punjab Congress president and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring had failed to keep the party united and warned that retaining him as state unit chief for the 2027 Assembly elections could further aggravate the situation.
However, party insiders said the high command is not inclined to replace Warring, signalling that the current leadership will continue ahead of the Assembly polls even as discussions with the Channi camp continued.
Sources said Rahul, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab Bhupesh Baghel believe replacing the state president under pressure would send the wrong signal.
The leadership is also understood to be factoring in the existing caste balance within the state unit, with Warring representing the Jat Sikh community and Channi being a prominent Scheduled Caste face.
The dissent against Warring has been led by a section of Punjab Congress leaders, with Channi emerging as one of the prominent voices seeking a change in the state leadership. However, the party's central leadership has so far refused to yield to the demand.
Later in the day, Channi, Randhawa, MLAs Rana Gurjeet Singh and Pargat Singh, along with other leaders, met Venugopal at the party headquarters, Indira Bhawan. After the meeting, rejecting reports of a feud within the state unit, Channi said the party remained united.
"We stand firmly with the party and will continue to do so and have no intention of embarrassing anyone or belittling anyone. We respect the party high command as Rahul Gandhi is our leader," Channi said.
The former CM added that the high command had heard their views and that the final decision would rest with the party leadership.
"We are never against the party, nor have we ever tried to embarrass it. We are committed to the party and will follow the party line," he said.
Despite indications that the party leadership is not considering a change in the state unit chief, the Channi camp continued to press its demands, fuelling speculation over the widening rift within the Punjab Congress.