Chandigarh, July 20
With the Monsoon Session of Parliament commencing today, the leadership question within the Punjab Congress looks set to be pushed further down the road. With barely six months left before the Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections, the continued delay in resolving the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) leadership issue is being seen by most political observers as potentially “disastrous” for the Grand Old Party.
A few days ago, former Chief Minister and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi, after meeting AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal with his supporters, told the media that “all is well.” This created the perception that the Channi camp had reconciled with Warring’s leadership. However, developments in recent days have sent out a very different signal — that “nothing is well” within the Congress. According to reliable Congress sources, the leadership issue remains unresolved, with the Channi camp refusing to relent.
Detractors of Warring argue that his biggest flaw is an “inflated ego” and a refusal to carry the party along. The situation has deteriorated to the point where former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has openly accused him of ignoring senior party leaders and subjecting them to public humiliation.
Leaders privy to the matter reveal that the Ajay Maken‑headed committee with Meenakshi Natarajan and Bhajan Lal Jatav as members had sought to resolve the leadership tussle before Rahul Gandhi’s departure abroad and in fact signalled support for a change at the top. According to party sources, the report concluded that while the Congress stands a chance of winning the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections, success may hinge on a change of guard in the state leadership.
Intensifying their attack on Warring, several leaders from Doaba and Majha told The News Gateway, “Warring must go. He has failed in his foremost duty of keeping the party united,” several Congress leaders preferring anonymity said, adding that under his leadership, Congress’s chances of returning to power in Punjab are virtually non‑existent.
What is interesting is that couple of weeks back, many Congress leaders were strongly backing but within last few says, there has been a sudden change with number of Warring detractors increasing. “Warring’s tenure as Punjab Congress chief has become synonymous with division and discontent. Far from uniting the party, he is accused of running it with an inflated ego, ignoring senior leaders and humiliating them publicly. His inability to carry the rank and file along has deepened factionalism, leaving the organization fractured at a critical juncture”, a senior Congress leader said.
Detractors argue that under his leadership, Congress’s chances of returning to power in Punjab are virtually nil. Instead of building consensus, Warring has alienated key voices, turning what should have been a cohesive campaign into a bitter struggle for survival.