Several Punjab Cong leaders meet in Mohali to back ex-CM Channi for state unit chief's post

Chandigarh, Jul 6 (PTI) Several senior Punjab Congress leaders on Monday held a meeting in the presence of Charanjit Singh Channi, days after several incumbent and former MLAs threw their weight behind the Lok Sabha MP to be reconsidered for the state unit chief's post. In what appeared to be a deepening of factionalism within the state Congress ahead of the 2027 Punjab polls, Channi, in a cryptic post on X on Monday, wrote, "In continuation of earlier meeting... Unity is Strength." Though state Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring was not part of the meeting, he also shared photographs of the Mohali meet on his X handle and captioned it "Unity is strength", as he later dismissed that there was any factionalism. "The Congress is united... we are all together," he asserted. On Friday, several Congress leaders held a meeting at Channi's residence in Morinda in Rupnagar district, where many backed him for the state Congress chief's post over incumbent Warring. While Warring was not part of the meeting in Mohali on Monday, Channi and many other leaders who met shared the photos on their respective X handles of the meet and titled it with the caption "Unity is Strength". After the meeting in Mohali, Channi did not speak to the media, but another senior leader, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who was present, when asked about the meeting, said, "This meeting was in continuation of the meeting held in Morinda, rest you understand." Ashu was among those who had attended the meeting on Friday at Channi's residence. Asked if he would be meeting Congress general secretary in-charge for Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel, who may soon hold a meeting with state unit leaders, he said, "I have not been invited by anyone." Amid the developments, Baghel reached Chandigarh late afternoon and will be holding meetings with party leaders to strategise for the 2027 assembly polls. Several leaders, who were not present on Friday in Morinda, joined the meeting in Mohali on Monday. They included Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Razia Sultana, Khushaldeep Singh Dhillon and Pargat Singh. Asked about Channi having posted that Monday's meeting was in continuation of the Morinda meeting, Warring sought to downplay the issue and said, "You (the media) are talking as if the Morinda meeting was some meeting held in Pakistan, PoK. I have already said that Channi is the chairman of our campaign committee and many leaders went to meet him. "You made the Morinda meeting like it was some PoK meeting." Warring said, "That meeting and even today's meeting were to strengthen the Congress. In the coming few days, you will see all leaders on one platform." He said a section of the media is saying Channi is in Delhi, but he is here, Warring said, urging media not to project as if there was some "fight" in the state Congress. Warring asserted that the Congress is united. "Channi, Raja Warring, Rana Gurjit, Partap Singh Bajwa, Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Sukhjinder Randhawa, we are all together," Warring said. Asked why he did not attend the meeting in Mohali on Monday, Warring quipped, "It seems the media is in a mood to make us fight." "Channi, Randhawa, Rana Gurjit and Tript Rajinder Bajwa are our senior leaders and I respect all of them," he said. The Punjab Congress, in a post on X in Punjabi, however, said the Mohali meeting was held in connection with preparations for 2027 assembly polls. "In view of the preparations for the 2027 assembly elections, Punjab Congress Campaign Committee Chairman Charanjit Singh Channi Ji and Core Committee Chairman Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa held an important meeting with their team and senior leaders of the party. During this, detailed discussions were held regarding the election strategy, further strengthening of the organisation and upcoming programmes," the state Congress' post read. Earlier on Saturday, Warring had dismissed suggestions that a rebellion had erupted in the party's state unit and ruled out that he was in the race for the chief minister's post. In the coming days, the entire state Congress leadership will be seen "fighting the battle for Punjab" together in every town and village, Warring had said. An announcement to retain Warring as the Punjab Congress chief came on Wednesday, alongside the unveiling of the party's various committees for the 2027 polls. Jalandhar MP Channi, a Dalit who was seen as one of the main contenders for the Punjab Congress chief's post, has been appointed as the chairperson of the campaign committee, an important position for strategising and planning the party's poll campaign. It is believed that Channi is miffed at being bypassed for the post of the state party chief. PTI SUN KSS KSS