With the Congress High Command issuing a stern warning to the leaders of Punjab Congress to put an end to internal factionalism, the move has come as a major setback to detractors of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. The hopes of the rival camp have been dashed, while those close to Warring are jubilant to see him firmly in the saddle. Internal bickering is not new to the Congress but the party has already paid a heavy price for factionalism in the 2022 Assembly polls. Senior leaders now insist that this time the leadership is determined to ensure discipline, making it clear that either everyone in Punjab Congress must fall in line or face decisive action.
Yesterday’s meeting in New Delhi was a direct indication that the AICC is treating Punjab elections with utmost seriousness and is determined not to let matters spiral out of control. One of the key takeaways from the meeting is that the Congress is unlikely to project any leader as the “CM face” for the 2027 Assembly polls. Warring himself had already announced that he is not in the race for the post of CM, stating, “My only objective is to make sure that Congress emerges victorious and forms the next government.” His assertive declaration that he remains a loyal soldier of the party, regardless of circumstances, reportedly worked in his favour in the ‘Delhi Durbar’.
On the other hand, former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who lost from both constituencies he contested in the last Assembly elections, was quietly nurturing ambitions of becoming PPCC president and eventually the CM if Congress returned to power. In pursuit of this goal, he began building a separate power group to pressure the High Command into replacing Warring. His reported statement that all top posts, including PPCC president and Leader of Opposition, were dominated by Jat Sikhs, while Dalits, who make up nearly 35–40 per cent of Punjab’s population, remained cornered, created a storm. The remark not only triggered internal unrest but also sent an unfortunate message to the people of Punjab that Congress was neglecting a particular community. This single statement was potent enough to irk the party leadership.
And that is what exactly happened. The move backfired. Opponents were quick to point out the irony that Channi himself, a Dalit, had been elevated to the Chief Minister’s chair in 2021, replacing one of the most powerful Congress leaders and a Jat Sikh, Capt. Amarinder Singh. His subsequent claim that his statement had been “twisted”—a convenient excuse often deployed by politicians—failed to contain the damage. By then, the controversy had snowballed and the noises of dissent had reached Delhi.
With former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and general secretary in charge of Punjab affairs, Bhupesh Baghel, having already provided a detailed assessment of the ground situation to the AICC, the Congress leadership, unlike in the past, acted swiftly. The Punjab leaders were summoned to the national capital and High Command issued a stern warning: fall in line and work unitedly for the party’s victory in the next Assembly elections or face decisive action if found derailing Congress’s chances for personal gain.
For now, it appears that the party has managed to contain factionalism by sending a strong and unequivocal message. Yet, given the Congress’s history in Punjab, only time will tell whether leaders truly unite under one umbrella with the sole aim of winning the next election or whether the internal bickering resumes after a brief lull. Should the latter scenario unfold, it would not be wrong to conclude that the Congress would once again diminish its chances of returning to power in Punjab.
(The author is the Editor of the website www.thenewsgateway.com. Views expressed are personal.)
