The Congress on Wednesday appointed former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi as chairman of its Campaign Committee for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, while making it clear that there will be no change in the state unit leadership.
The party retained Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) and Pratap Singh Bajwa as leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), effectively ending speculation over a possible leadership change ahead of the Assembly polls scheduled early next year.
Former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has been named chairperson of the party's Core Committee, while former state minister Vijay Inder Singla will head the Election Management and Coordination Committee. Congress MP Amar Singh has been appointed chairman of the Manifesto Committee.
"Congress president has appointed chairpersons of election-related committees for the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab, with immediate effect -- Campaign Committee chairperson Charanjit Singh Channi, Election Management and Coordination Committee chairperson Vijay Inder Singla, Core Committee chairperson Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Manifesto committee chairperson Dr Amar Singh," AICC general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said in a statement.
"Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Pratap Singh Bajwa will continue as the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee and the leader of the Congress legislature party in Punjab, respectively," he added.
Venugopal also announced the appointment of three working presidents of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee -- Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Raj Kumar Verka and Sangat Singh Gilzian.
"Congress president has also appointed working presidents of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee and co-chairpersons of the following election-related committees, with immediate effect. Working presidents - Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Raj Kumar Verka and Sangat Singh Gilzian," he said.
The Congress president has also appointed Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Rana Gurjeet Singh and Dharamvira Gandhi as co-chairpersons of the Campaign Committee. O P Soni, Razia Sultana, Kuljit Singh Nagra, Angad Singh Saini and Bharat Bhushan Ashu have been named co-chairpersons of the Election Management and Coordination Committee.
The co-chairpersons of the Manifesto Committee are Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Pargat Singh, Hardial Singh Kamboj and Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria.
Punjab is scheduled to go to the polls early next year, with the Congress aiming to return to power in the border state after losing the last Assembly election.
(With inputs from PTI)
