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Chandigarh, July 7
Senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel continued meeting Punjab party leaders on Tuesday as the Congress leadership sought to contain growing internal differences ahead of next year’s Assembly elections. Baghel, the party’s general secretary in charge of Punjab, is holding consultations with office-bearers and senior leaders following renewed unrest within the state unit over the leadership issue. The meetings come days after several Congress leaders backed former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi for reconsideration as Punjab Congress president, despite the party retaining Amrinder Singh Raja Warring in the post.
State Congress chief Raja Warring said Channi, who heads the party’s campaign committee, and senior leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, chairman of the core committee, are expected to meet Baghel within the next two days. According to Warring, Channi had informed Baghel that he would be unavailable for a couple of days.
Earlier in the day, Baghel held a breakfast meeting with Punjab Congress working president Raj Kumar Verka. Verka later also met Channi, signalling efforts by the party leadership to engage with the group backing the former chief minister.
On Monday, several senior Congress leaders gathered in Mohali in Channi’s presence, days after sitting and former MLAs publicly supported his candidature for the state party chief’s post.
Asked why no leader from Channi’s camp had yet met him, Baghel declined to comment on the political developments, saying he needed “two to three days” before speaking publicly. “Give me time and allow me to work,” he told reporters.
Verka expressed confidence that the differences within the party would be resolved. “There is no problem at all and everything will be sorted out,” he said.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa also sought to play down the crisis, acknowledging that differences existed but insisting they could be resolved through dialogue. He urged party leaders not to cross the “Lakshman Rekha” and said Congress had a tradition of greater internal democracy than many other political parties.
Bajwa said Punjab voters were looking for a credible alternative ahead of the Assembly elections and warned that public disagreements could weaken the party’s prospects. He also described Channi as “like a younger brother”, saying differences were natural but should remain within the party.
He urged the leadership to resolve all outstanding issues quickly, arguing that with only a few months left before the election campaign gathers pace, Congress should focus on public concerns such as law and order and drug abuse rather than internal disputes.
Baghel is expected to continue his consultations with party leaders over the coming days before outlining the party’s position on the leadership issue.
