Chandigarh, August 4
Amid one of the fiercest tussles in Punjab Congress, with discord at the top spilling onto the streets, the Grand Old Party (GOP) has utterly failed to rein in factionalism—even with Punjab barely six months away from elections. What began as murmurs of dissent in January has now exploded into a full-blown revolt against the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring.
The situation has spiralled to such alarming proportions that now “even talk of a split in the party’s Punjab unit” and “AICC weighing expulsion of certain disgruntled Punjab Congress leaders” is doing the rounds. In either scenario, the ultimate loss will be Congress’s own, crippling its prospects of forming a government to the point of no return.
A thorough perusal of the 2022 Punjab Vidhan Sabha election revealed it was an AAP wave that swept the state, with the party scripting history by bagging 92 seats. “Each time, blame is heaped on Channi for losing both segments he contested, ignoring the fact that Capt. Amarinder Singh—a two‑time Chief Minister—not only lost but even forfeited his security. Likewise, five‑time CM Parkash Singh Badal, cricketer‑turned‑politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, and Akali stalwart Bikram Singh Majithia also faced defeat. Then why single out Channi,” questioned several of Channi supporters while speaking to The News Gateway.
A crucial dimension of the present crisis is the sheer collapse of the party high command, which has handed such unchecked leverage to Punjab leaders that they now brazenly defy the diktats of the central Congress leadership.
A thorough ground survey across Punjab in recent days by The New Gateway revealed that people are seething over the chaos within Congress. “When the Congress cannot keep its own house in order, how will this party ever rule Punjab,” remarked a group of youngsters at the Panjab University Extension Library in Ludhiana.
Echoing the same anger, people in Amritsar, Mohali, Jalandhar, Bathinda and Patiala said, “The infighting among Congressmen only proves they care nothing for Punjab’s welfare and remain obsessed with personal gain. The entire state is watching this daily tamasha of Congress and is now rethinking which party deserves their vote.”