Channi row: Punjab Congress rift out in open

Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s supporters gathered at his residence in Punjab’s Morinda on Friday, with many former MLAs demanding that he be made the state unit chief.

The development comes after the party’s central leadership decided to retain Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as the state unit chief. The announcement to retain Warring came on Wednesday, alongside the unveiling of the party’s various committees for the 2027 Assembly polls.

Before the supporters started to gather at Channi’s Morinda residence, some former party MLAs, who reached Channi’s residence, told reporters that if the Congress has to come to power in Punjab in the next year’s election, the former chief minister should be made the president of the State unit.

Channi is said to be miffed at not being appointed to the post. He is learnt to have not even made a customary call to thank the party leadership following the new announcements.

Channi’s supporters have expressed disappointment over not being given the post for which the former Punjab chief minister had been lobbying hard.

Among those who reached Channi’s residence were former deputy chief minister OP Soni, former ministers Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Gurpreet Singh Kangar, former MP Mohd Sadiq, sitting MLA Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, ex-MLAs Nazar Singh Manshahia, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Lakhvir Singh Lakha, Darshan Singh Brar and Tarsem Singh.

Before the meeting, several supporters of Channi, including some former MLAs, threw weight behind him, demanding that party should hand over reins of Punjab Congress to the ex-CM. Ex-MLA Darshan Singh Brar said, “If Channi is not made the state president, the Congress cannot form its Government in Punjab. Under Warring’s leadership, the Congress cannot come to power”.

Gurpreet Kangar said, “We have to go to people to seek votes and people want Channi as the state chief.” Amid talks of a change in the leadership of its Punjab unit, the Congress decided to retain Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as the State unit president.

Jalandhar MP Channi, a Dalit, who was seen as one of the main contenders for the post of Punjab Congress chief, has been appointed chairperson of the campaign committee, an important position for strategising and planning the party’s poll campaign.

The party also did not make any change in the position of the leader of opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, which is currently held by Partap Singh Bajwa. Gurdaspur MP and former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has been appointed chairperson of the core committee.

In a bid to check factionalism, the party accommodated several party leaders in different committees for the assembly polls due next year in the state.

Channi and Randhawa were seen as contenders for the state unit president.

New cracks emerging in congress: BJP

New Delhi: The BJP on Friday claimed that “new cracks” are emerging in the Congress, citing reports that party leader Charanjit Channi is “miffed” over the latest organisational reshuffle ahead of the Punjab polls.

The attack came a day after Congress leader Manish Tewari put out a cryptic post on X, saying he wished he had an antidote for the “insecurities of individuals” and “institutions” after he was not assigned any organisational role in the latest reshuffle in the state.

Tewari shared a media report which stated that he was “left in the cold” as the Congress appointed new working presidents and set up poll panels for Punjab.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said that the opposition party is in “tukde tukde mode” and facing infighting across states. “After Manish Tewari, now it is Channi’s turn. Tewari was upset with the Congress and tweeted about it. A day later, Channi, who is also upset with the Congress, is calling a meeting of his supporters,” he said in a video statement.

Poonawalla claimed that the party was coasting headless. “It seems the Congress is giving evidence every day that it has no neta, no niti, no netritva, no mission — only confusion and division,” he said.

Citing factional rivalries in several states, the BJP leader alleged that internal conflicts have become the defining feature of the Congress.