Amid continued infighting in the Punjab Congress, the party’s state in-charge, Bhupesh Baghel, quipped on Wednesday that a change in leadership is “not a child’s play” as he said he submitted a report to the high command on the party’s situation in the poll-bound state.
Event Context
“I visited Punjab for six days where I met the leaders and heard all of them, including at the Punjab Congress office and during one-on-one meetings. After having discussions with leaders of Punjab, I had submitted my report to AICC general secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal,” Baghel told the media in Delhi.
When asked if there is a change of guard in Punjab Congress, Baghel said, “Did you speak with Rahul Gandhi? Let newspapers write whatever they want. I have already said what I had to say… I have no control over the stories you run. Go ahead and run whatever you want… This isn’t child’s play.”
The report assumes importance as the Congress’ Punjab unit remains divided, with former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi keen to head the party while the party’s high command favours Amarinder Singh Raja Warring.
The former CM’s faction has claimed that Warring is not a popular face and Channi, a Dalit Sikh, should lead the Punjab party unit.
A senior leader aware of the details argued that Channi has been appointed campaign committee chairman, the most powerful post in the run-up to the election.
“Ashok Gehlot was the campaign committee chief before he became the CM of Rajasthan in 2018. Siddaramaiah, who had been a two-term chief minister of Karnataka, led the campaign committee on both occasions. Even Narendra Modi was the campaign committee chief for the BJP in 2014,” said a senior leader considered close to Warring.
Rajnath Singh later replaced Modi after the latter was declared as the PM face.
A central leader of the Congress also pointed out that Channi was offered a general secretary position in 2025, but he refused it as he wanted to remain focused on Punjab.
Channi had replaced Captain Amrinder Singh ahead of the 2022 assembly election, which the AAP won.
After returning from abroad on Tuesday, Gandhi held a crucial meeting with party president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi and is learnt to have discussed the leadership crisis ahead of the Assembly elections due early next year.
Gandhi and Kharge summoned Baghel to Delhi, where he is likely to hold discussions with the top leadership on Wednesday to find an amicable solution to the leadership crisis.
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According to sources, Gandhi is willing to listen to the views of Punjab leaders and is keen to quell the infighting within the state unit at the earliest.
The party leadership is concerned that the Congress cannot head into the Assembly polls with continuing infighting in the state unit.
The Congress high command’s decision to retain Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as the Punjab unit chief has triggered dissent within the state unit, with senior leaders, including former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Randhawa, openly opposing the move.
Baghel, the former Chhattisgarh chief minister, spent the last few days in Punjab meeting various leaders to assess the situation.
A second senior leader also added that an independent panel led by Congress treasurer Ajay Maken had recommended that Raja Warring should continue.
After Baghel submitted his report, Congress’ legislative party leader Partap Singh Bajwa also met Venugopal.
