AICC Gives Cold Shoulder to Channi's Demand for Punjab Congress Overhaul; Bajwa Emerges as Frontrunner for PPCC Chief
CHANDIGARH: The Congress high command appears to have given a cold shoulder to former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's demand for a change in the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) leadership and his push to be projected as the party's chief ministerial face for the 2027 Assembly elections.
Highly placed Congress sources said that AICC Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel has submitted his assessment report on the Punjab unit to AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal after holding consultations with party leaders. The developments are also understood to have been brought to the notice of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
According to party sources, Rahul Gandhi is not inclined to accept Channi's demands. Instead, the Congress leadership is considering strengthening the state organisation while maintaining collective leadership in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Sources indicated that Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa has emerged as the leading contender to replace Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring if the party eventually decides to appoint a new PPCC chief. Senior leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa is also among the names under consideration. However, his perceived proximity to the Channi camp is believed to have weakened his prospects.
The Congress leadership had earlier made it clear that there was no immediate proposal to replace Raja Warring as the state party chief. Instead, Channi was accommodated by being appointed chairman of the party's campaign committee for the 2027 Assembly elections, a move seen as an attempt to balance competing factions within the state unit.
Despite this, Channi has reportedly continued pressing the high command to declare him as the Congress' chief ministerial face well before the elections. Party insiders say the leadership is not in favour of announcing any chief ministerial candidate in advance and intends to take that decision only after the party secures a mandate in the Assembly elections.
The former Chief Minister recently sought to demonstrate his political strength by convening a meeting of his supporters at the Chandigarh residence of senior Congress leader Rana Gurjit Singh. The meeting was attended by several leaders considered close to Channi and was widely viewed as an attempt to build pressure on the party leadership.
However, the central leadership has remained firm on its stand that the Punjab Congress must function collectively and focus on defeating the Aam Aadmi Party government in the 2027 elections under Rahul Gandhi's leadership. The emphasis, according to sources, is on organisational unity rather than projecting any individual leader as the face of the campaign.
Party insiders believe that if the high command adheres to its earlier decision of retaining Raja Warring and refusing to project a chief ministerial face before the elections, Channi will have limited political options. He would either have to reconcile with the collective leadership formula and work within the party framework or explore alternatives outside the Congress.
For the moment, the Congress high command appears determined to prevent factional politics from overshadowing preparations for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, with the final decision on leadership expected to depend on the party's electoral performance rather than pre-poll lobbying.
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