Chandigarh, July 29
Notwithstanding the fact that the crucial session of Parliament is in progress, Jalandhar MP Charanjit was notably absent. Adding to the unease within the party, his social media posts announcing a protest against the paper leak issue in Punjab carried only his photograph, conspicuously omitting the Congress flag. It is learnt that the party high command has taken serious note of these actions.
Channi not only defied the party whip but also skipped the Lok Sabha speech of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Adding to the unease within the party, his social media posts announcing a protest against the paper leak issue in Punjab carried only his photograph, conspicuously omitting the Congress flag. It is learnt that the party high command has taken serious note of these actions. “This is unacceptable. How can any MP skip Parliament when a whip has been issued?” remarked a senior AICC functionary.
While PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring is attending the Lok Sabha besides leading protests in the national capital demanding the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the brutal lathi charge on peacefully protesting sanitation workers in Barnala, Channi has chosen to remain in Punjab. However, after the issue snowballed into a major controversy over Channi’s absence from the protests, he announced just a few hours ago that he would hold a demonstration in Punjab against the Barnala incident.
According to sources, although the AICC leadership has managed to broker a truce between the Channi and Warring factions, Channi continues to bypass the Congress high command’s instructions and is apparently running a parallel Congress in Punjab. This defiance is sending out a damaging message that the much‑touted unity within the Punjab Congress is a farce, reduced to nothing more than a photo op.
Party insiders told The News Gateway that after the AICC categorically made it clear that Raja Warring will continue as PPCC president with no question of replacement, the Channi camp has shifted strategy. Instead of pressing the leadership on the issue, his group is now working to build a parallel front, aiming to project a show of strength so that during ticket allocation for the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections, Channi can vociferously demand his share of tickets.
But contrary to that, speaking to The News Gateway, a close confidant of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Punjab Congress affairs in‑charge Bhupesh Baghel said, “The high command is watching everything. Channi is under the wrong impression that ticket distribution will be based on the number of supporters, whereas it will strictly be decided based on winnability.”
In the end, Channi’s conspicuous absence from Parliament, his defiance of the high command and his bid to run a parallel Congress in Punjab have only deepened the perception of unity within the party. Even as the AICC insists that ticket distribution will hinge on winnability rather than sheer numbers, Channi’s manoeuvre risks weakening the Congress’s collective fight in the run‑up to the Punjab elections. The unfolding rift not only undermines the leadership’s call for unity but also raises serious questions about the party’s ability to present a cohesive front when it matters most.