No End to Factional Rift in Congress: Baghel Fails to Pacify Rebels as Channi Camp Draws Battle Lines
What Message Is Bhupesh Baghel Carrying Back for Rahul Gandhi?
By Baljit Balli/ Babushahi Network Bureau
Chandigarh, July 11, 2026:
The factional feud that has gripped the Punjab Congress for the past week appeared to reach its peak today when the group led by former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi conveyed an unambiguous message to Congress observer Bhupesh Baghel: they are not willing to work under the present Punjab Congress president.
While making it clear that they want the Congress to return to power in Punjab, the leaders also asserted that such a victory would not be possible under the leadership of Raja Warring.
Although Bhupesh Baghel, after emerging from the meeting, attempted to project an image of unity by suggesting that "all is well" in the Congress and that everyone would accept the High Command's decision, the reality inside the meeting was quite different. More than 90 leaders from different levels of the party, gathered under the leadership of former Chief Minister and MP Charanjit Singh Channi, reportedly stated in one voice that a change in leadership is essential if the Congress hopes to win the upcoming Assembly elections.
The meeting, held at the Sector-4 Chandigarh residence of senior Congress leader and MP Rana Gurjeet Singh, carried an even stronger political message than the earlier gathering at Channi's residence in Morinda. Though the discussion remained confined within the walls of Rana's residence and the ears of Bhupesh Baghel, its political significance was unmistakable.
According to information available with me and the Babushahi team, the leaders who met alongside Channi forcefully reiterated the same point that senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa later expressed publicly: "We cannot accept a leader who believes in compromise." The remark was clearly aimed at Raja Warring, who has been accused by dissident leaders of failing to take a firm stand against the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government.
To substantiate this allegation, Balkaur Singh, father of the late singer Sidhu Moosewala, reportedly showed Bhupesh Baghel photographs of Raja Warring taken after Moosewala's murder, presenting them as evidence to support his argument.
Although most leaders avoided making public statements after the meeting and were reluctant to be branded as a "rebel faction," they appeared unwavering in their position. In fact, they claimed that a majority of Congress leaders and workers in Punjab stand with them and that their movement should not be viewed as merely one faction within the party.
The clear takeaway is that the formula for reorganising the Punjab Congress and its leadership, reportedly finalised by the High Command under Rahul Gandhi's guidance, has not been accepted by a substantial section of the state leadership. In this context, Randhawa's observation that "changes do happen" carries considerable political significance.
On the other hand, Raja Warring refrained from displaying any bitterness towards the dissenting leaders. Instead, like a seasoned politician, he adopted a diplomatic tone, portraying the rebellion as temporary and expressing confidence that everyone would ultimately abide by the High Command's decision.
However, the meeting between the dissident leaders and the party observer has made one thing abundantly clear: the battle for leadership within the Punjab Congress is far from over, and nobody can yet predict how it will end.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the entire episode is that, with only a few months left before the Punjab Assembly elections, while every other political party is busy preparing for the electoral battle, the Congress remains preoccupied with an internal struggle for power.
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