Punjab Congress Meeting Channi Camp Holds Talks With Baghel Amid Leadership Row

The high-stakes meeting of the Punjab Congress group led by former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Bhupesh Baghel, AICC general secretary in charge of Punjab, has gotten underway at the residence of Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjit in Chandigarh on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters at the venue, Channi refused to divulge the details of the agenda of the meeting. “These things cannot be discussed beforehand. Let us conduct our discussions, we will later brief you all on the outcome,” he said.

The Channi group has been demanding the removal of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. However, Baghel reportedly has made it clear that appointments once made by the high command will not be changed. Raja Warring has not been invited to the meeting.

Speaking outside his house, Gurjit said the meeting with Baghel will be held in the presence of all senior leaders of the party, including MLAs and candidates who fought previous polls.

Dozens of Congress leaders, including sitting MLAs and former MLAs, have arrived at the house of Gurjit, where special arrangements have been made for the meeting.

Speaking to the media, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, former MLA and grandson of former chief minister Beant Singh, said he hoped all issues would be resolved today.

Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa also arrived for the meeting and asserted that the Congress was united.

Jalandhar MLA Pargat Singh refused to comment on the talks. “It is an in-house matter, and I do not want to publicly discuss it. I am sure all things will get sorted out today,” he said.

Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and former deputy chief minister O P Soni also arrived for the meeting. “There is no issue at all. We will talk later after the meeting,” said Bajwa.

Soni had attended the meeting of the Channi group in Morinda, where voices had been raised for the removal of Warring, and later he went to Chandigarh airport to receive Baghel on his arrival for a week-long visit to sort out the deadlock.

Malvika Sood, Congress candidate for the 2022 polls from Moga, said that she has come to the meeting hoping that the confusion would be sorted out. “I have not come in support of any leader. I have come in support of the Congress,” she said.