New Delhi: The Congress high command is preparing to take a decisive call on the prolonged internal discord within its Punjab unit, with senior leader Rahul Gandhi expected to personally intervene after repeated efforts to bridge differences among state leaders reportedly failed.
According to party sources, Punjab affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel has returned to Chhattisgarh after holding consultations in Delhi, while discussions involving Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and organisation general secretary K.C. Venugopal have also not yielded a breakthrough. The final decision on the Punjab leadership issue is now believed to rest with Rahul Gandhi.
Sources indicate that Rahul Gandhi has not yet met former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi despite repeated requests from his camp. This has fueled speculation that the Congress leadership is unhappy with the manner in which the internal dispute has unfolded over the past several weeks.
At the centre of the controversy is the disagreement over the organisational committees announced for Punjab ahead of the next electoral cycle. While the committees reportedly received approval from the central leadership, the Channi camp is said to have openly questioned the selections and stayed away from meetings convened by the state in-charge.
Party insiders also claim that the leadership viewed the refusal to engage with Bhupesh Baghel and the insistence on speaking only with the national leadership as an avoidable escalation of the dispute. Senior leaders reportedly believe that internal concerns should have been addressed through the organisational channels already in place.
Another point of friction remains the leadership of the Punjab Congress. The Channi faction has reportedly expressed reservations about contesting future elections under the leadership of Punjab Congress president Raja Warring, a position that the high command has so far continued to back.
Meanwhile, Raja Warring has intensified his outreach programme by interacting directly with district leaders and grassroots workers across Punjab. Party functionaries close to him say the exercise is aimed at strengthening the organisation and preparing workers for upcoming political challenges despite the ongoing uncertainty.
The Congress leadership is also understood to be unhappy over parallel political messaging emerging from within the state unit. Shortly after Rahul Gandhi returned from his foreign visit, supporters of Charanjit Singh Channi launched a social media campaign projecting him as the preferred face of Punjab Congress. According to sources, the central leadership interpreted the campaign as an attempt to build pressure while internal consultations were still underway.
The report submitted by Bhupesh Baghel after his Punjab visit is also believed to have highlighted simultaneous meetings being organised by different factions, reflecting the depth of divisions within the state unit.
While no official announcement has been made, party insiders expect Rahul Gandhi to review the situation personally before taking a final decision on the organisational structure and future course for the Punjab Congress. The outcome is likely to shape the party’s strategy in the state ahead of the next electoral battle.
