NEW DELHI: Once bitten, twice shy. That’s perhaps how one can describe Congress top leadership’s predicament in Punjab where the party is desperately trying to unite the state leaders ahead of the assembly elections next year.It has been over two weeks now since the Congress announced its new leadership structure in Punjab based on the recommendations of a three-member committee. The idea was to balance the rival power centres. Instead, it triggered an open war of words and a fresh round of infighting which saw some state leaders openly target Punjab congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring.Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, who is the Congress in-charge for Punjab, had to extend his stay in the state as he tried to defuse the crisis by talking to the rival camps. Baghel has now submitted his report to the Congress high command. He insists that all is under control and the party stands united to take on the AAP. But the situation on the ground seems to suggest that the dispute is far from settled.
Bhupesh Baghel, has stated that there is ‘no resentment’ in the party.
A familiar crisis
This situation in Punjab is not new for the Congress top brass. It carries a sense of déjà vu.In the run up to the 2022 assembly elections, the then chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and his challenger Navjot Singh Sidhu spent months trading barbs publicly even as a helpless Congress high command tried to broker truce.Eventually, the Congress removed Amarinder and picked Charanjit Singh Channi as a compromise candidate for the post of chief minister. Amarinder later left the party and joined the BJP. But the change did not end the crisis. Sidhu and some other state Congress leaders continued to challenge Channi’s authority ahead of the 2022 poll battle.The high command ultimately backed Channi as its chief ministerial face, but the gamble ended in one of the Congress’s worst defeats in Punjab leaving the high command red faced.The Congress, which had won 77 seats under the leadership of Amarinder Singh, was reduced to 18 seats. Channi, himself put up a very dismal show as he lost from both the seats he had contested then.Five years later, as the Congress prepares for another assembly battle, it is Channi who is leading the revolt.
From compromise CM to challenger
Channi, who perhaps nurtured dreams of being made the state president, was disappointed when the Congress high command decided to continue with Warring to lead the party in the state.Since then, he, along with party MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, have been exerting pressure on the high command to change its decision. Channi called a meeting of his supporters in what was widely seen as a show of strength. Several leaders rallied around him. He avoided meeting Baghel initially to register his protest. But for a change, the Congress high command appeared adamant not to repeat the past mistakes and get pressured by their open rebellion.
‘We stand with the party’
Even as his supporters intensified the pressure on Warring, Channi sought to make it clear that his camp’s challenge was not directed against the Congress high command.He said the leaders had presented their concerns before the central leadership but would accept whatever decision it eventually took.“We stand with the party. We respect the party high command. Rahul Gandhi is our leader; we love him,” Channi said. “The final decision always rests with the high command. Whatever decision they make, we will accept it and move forward accordingly,” he added.Channi also insisted that his supporters had no intention of embarrassing or belittling anyone and were only seeking to strengthen the party in Punjab. “All is well. We are committed to the party; we will follow the party line,” he added.
Why Congress is backing Warring
The high command has shown little appetite for reopening the question of the Punjab Congress presidency. As Baghel put it, ‘it is not a child’s play’. He said this not once, but twice.
Bhupesh Baghel has affirmed once again that ‘this is not a child’s play’.
Warring was appointed after the 2022 poll debacle and entrusted with rebuilding a demoralised party. A three-time MLA from Gidderbaha, he rose through the Punjab Youth Congress and was picked by Rahul Gandhi to lead the state unit.The Congress’s unimpressive performance in the local body poll gave his critics fresh ammunition. However, the Congress leadership has dropped enough hints that it will continue to back Warring and not yield to pressure by his rivals.
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Channi, who saw the Congress leadership buckle under pressure of leadership tussle in 2022 and benefited then, is perhaps now hoping to use the same pressure tactics to get a bigger leadership role. But the Congress seems to be firm this time around.Replacing Warring now in response to an open rebellion would signal that the organisational decisions can be overturned through pressure. That is precisely the precedent the leadership appears determined to avoid.For the leadership, the fact that they are standing by Warring is not just about one individual but also protecting the authority of the high command and preventing Punjab from becoming an example of a state where every appointment by the high command remains open to negotiation. It could also set a dangerous precedent for other aspiring leaders in different states.
‘All is well’, but is it?
Baghel has tried to play down the rebellion, insisting that there is “no resentment” in the Punjab unit and ruling out any change in Warring’s position. He also warned that action would be taken against leaders who crossed the line.But Randhawa’s remark that Congress did not need “compromised leaders” showed that the tensions remain unresolved. The comments that followed laid bare the gap between the high command’s claim that “all is well” and the continuing distrust within the state unit.While Channi remained guarded, Bajwa projected himself as a bridge-builder.The leaders may have avoided a direct confrontation in Baghel’s presence, but their statements hardly conveyed a settled truce.
‘Saara Punjab Channi Naal’
Despite the Congress leadership suggesting that no changes will be made, several party leaders supporting Channi seem to be making constant push. Several Congress leaders shared a picture with the Jalandhar MP carrying the slogan ‘Saara Punjab Channi Naal’. The coordinated social media push came even as Baghel met AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal in Delhi.The Channi camp has drawn support from several influential leaders, including Randhawa, Bajwa, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Aruna Chaudhary, O P Soni, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Pargat Singh.Their objectives may differ: some may want a change in the state president, while others may want a greater say in ticket distribution and campaign planning. But their coming together increases the pressure on Warring and complicates the high command’s task.All of this combined, it would be hard for the party high command to dismiss the rebellion as the dissatisfaction of one leader.
Opposition watching closely
AAP and the BJP have every reason to let the Congress drama play out. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann has already used the dispute to portray the Congress as not reliable enough to form a government, with every senior leader wanting to become chief minister.The attack allows AAP to shift attention from his own failures and highlight the fact that Congress is not a stable alternative. The BJP, which is trying to expand in Punjab, also benefits from a divided Congress.
AAP is closely watching the drama unfold
For the Congress, the stakes are high. It still remains relevant in the state, thanks to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections which showed that the party still has a support base. But the 2022 elections also showed how quickly that advantage can be lost when the battle is within.
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Will the Congress blink?
As the party prepares for the upcoming electoral battle, its ability to manage these internal divisions will be critical to projecting stability and regaining political ground.This time, the Congress leadership appears to have drawn a lesson from 2022 experience. Concessions do not settle the crisis. New demands keep coming up which eventually weakens the chain of command and contributes to poll rout. But then the Congress needs to be wary of the consequences of this tussle also. Its opponents in Punjab would be smiling at the internal turmoil which the party faces and would hope to reap benefits of it.The party needs Warring and Channi both. Its challenge is to make the factions work together without allowing any one of them to derail the campaign. The pressure playbook that got Channi the chief minister’s chair is back. But Congress knows how the story ended last time and may want to write a new chapter. Whether it can resist the pressure without allowing the rebellion to tear apart the state unit will determine whether it enters the 2027 election as a serious challenger or as a party once again fighting itself before it can fight its opponents.
