Punjab Congress rift widens as 26 senior leaders gather at Channi’s Morinda meeting, seeks high command review; Watch Video
Babushahi Bureau
Morinda (Punjab), July 3, 2026: The internal fault lines within the Punjab Congress widened on Friday as former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s supporters held a major show of strength in Morinda, demanded a review of the party’s recent organisational appointments, and announced plans to meet the Congress high command in New Delhi.
The developments come just days after the Congress leadership retained Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president while appointing Channi as chairman of the Campaign Committee ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Show of Strength in Morinda
A meeting convened at Channi’s residence in Morinda was attended by more than two dozen senior Congress leaders, including sitting MLAs, former MPs, former ministers and ex-MLAs.
Among those present were MLAs Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Kuldeep Singh ‘Kala’ Dhillon and Rana Gurjit Singh, former Deputy Chief Minister Om Parkash Soni, former ministers Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Gurkirat Singh Kotli, former MP Mohammad Sadiq, and several former legislators.
Even before the meeting began, supporters gathered outside Channi’s residence, with several leaders openly demanding that he be appointed the Punjab Congress president. Former MLA Darshan Singh Brar said the Congress could perform strongly in the 2027 Assembly elections only if Channi was entrusted with the leadership of the state unit.
Delegation to Meet Congress High Command
Addressing the media after the meeting, senior Congress leader Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa announced that a delegation led by Channi would soon meet the Congress high command to seek a review of the recent organisational decisions in Punjab.
Bajwa maintained that the group was seeking dialogue rather than confrontation.
“We have no fight with the Congress high command. We will meet the leadership in Delhi and apprise them of the situation in Punjab. We request the party to reconsider its recent decisions,” he said.
He added that Channi has every right to present the concerns of Punjab Congress leaders before the central leadership and urged him to personally discuss the issue with the high command.
Expressing concern over the party’s condition in the state, Bajwa said dissatisfaction among party workers and leaders had weakened the organisation.
“The Congress is facing a difficult situation in Punjab because many workers and leaders are unhappy. There is also a sense of disappointment among the public,” he said.
He reiterated that the Channi camp respects the authority of the Congress leadership and is only seeking reconsideration of the appointments through discussions with the high command.
Leadership Question Comes to the Fore
Friday’s developments marked the first organised public pushback against the Congress high command’s recent appointments. While Channi has been given charge of the Campaign Committee, several leaders at the Morinda meeting argued that he should also be entrusted with the post of PPCC president and projected him as the party’s chief ministerial face for the 2027 Assembly elections.
BJP Seizes the Opportunity
The Congress infighting also drew a political response from the BJP.
Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon said the BJP would welcome Channi if he ever chose to join the party.
“If Charanjit Singh Channi joins the BJP, we will welcome him. Whoever joins the BJP will be satisfied,” Dhillon said.
He also claimed that the ongoing infighting had demoralised Congress workers and questioned the party’s future in Punjab.
The Congress high command recently announced a new organisational structure for Punjab, retaining Raja Warring as PPCC president while assigning Channi the role of Campaign Committee chairman in what was widely seen as an effort to balance competing factions ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
However, Friday’s show of strength by the Channi camp, the demand for a review of the appointments, and the decision to meet the Congress high command indicate that the organisational reshuffle has failed to end factionalism within the Punjab unit.
The Congress high command had not officially responded to the demands raised by the Channi camp at the time of filing this report.