CHANDIGARH: With less than six months left for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, the Congress' "Har Booth Congress Mazboot" campaign has exposed deep divisions within the state unit, with a poster war breaking out between former Punjab Chief Minister and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi and Punjab Congress president and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Raja Warring.
Amid the continuing public display of factionalism, Congress organisation general secretary K C Venugopal met Channi in New Delhi and is learnt to have asked him to ensure that his supporters did not disrupt party programmes. He also reportedly told Channi that no leader should make public statements against another.
Sources said Channi told Venugopal that those creating disruptions were not his supporters. He was also assured that his concerns would be addressed. The party high command is working on a formula to end the deadlock and bring all leaders together.
Sources said Punjab Congress in-charge Bhupesh Baghel is expected to submit a report on the political situation in the state to Venugopal after completing his Punjab tour. The Congress leadership is also expected to hold a similar meeting with Warring.
The rivalry has played out through coordinated poster campaigns across several districts.
The row began on Monday when posters surfaced in Muktsar, Warring's hometown, comparing Baghel to British-era General Dyer with the caption "Go Back Baghel". Another pro-Channi poster at the venue read, "Raja-Baghel hatao, Congress bachao" and "Rahul Gandhi listen to the cry of Punjabis. Bring Channi, let’s form Congress government."
The next day, Muktsar District Congress president Shubhdeep Singh Bittu and Block Congress president Sharanjit Singh Sandhu submitted separate complaints to the police, seeking action against the printing press for allegedly printing the hoardings. They also accused former municipal councillor Gurmeet Singh Jeeta of getting them printed and installed. Jeeta has denied the allegation.
Ahead of a party event in Ferozepur attended by Warring and Baghel, posters depicting Channi wearing a vest marked "RSS" and khaki shorts appeared with slogans such as "Channi bhajao, Congress bachao" and appeals to Rahul Gandhi to expel him.
In Bathinda, pro-Channi posters urged Rahul Gandhi to project Channi as the party's face for government formation. In Amritsar, anti-Channi posters carried the slogan, "Ghar-ghar de vich chali gal, Channi chalya BJP val."
In Moga and other places, supporters of both camps clashed during party meetings, while pro-Channi slogans disrupted organisational programmes. Similar sloganeering by Channi supporters was witnessed at events attended by Warring and Baghel in Patiala and Sangrur. In Sangrur, supporters of both camps clashed in the presence of senior leaders.
Channi's camp has been demanding Warring's replacement as state Congress chief, alleging that he has created divisions within the party.
However, in Ludhiana, the Congress projected a united front ahead of the visit of senior leaders. Posters put up by the District Congress Committee featured Channi, former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Ishwarjot Singh Cheema and other senior leaders.
Last month, supporters of Channi had openly urged the central leadership to appoint the Jalandhar MP as Punjab Congress chief, claiming the party could not return to power under Warring's leadership.
Meanwhile, Warring expressed his willingness to contest against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in the Assembly elections if the party fields him.
" I will fight (against Mann), and he will come to know. My colleague Kulbir Singh Zira on Tuesday suggested fielding me against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Badal, but in my opinion, he has already lost his political base. If the party’s central leadership wants me to contest a state seat, I urge them to consider my candidature against chief minister Bhagwant Mann. I am ready to contest against the sitting CM to show that I do not shy away from a tough fight. However, if any other Congress leader is willing to contest against Mann, the party may consider that as well,” Warring said.
Mann is currently the MLA from the Dhuri Assembly constituency in Sangrur district.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa dismissed reports of infighting. “There is no infighting in Punjab. The differences have been resolved. Neither the BJP nor the Aam Aadmi Party will come to power in Punjab. It will be the Congress,” he said.
