Rift in Punjab Congress? Channi camp in Delhi to meet party high command

Amidst public displays of unity, a faction of Punjab Congress leaders, reportedly led by Charanjit Singh Channi, has travelled to Delhi to meet the party high command, seeking the removal of state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring.

Even as the Punjab Congress posted a picture of several Congress leaders with former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, sources told ANI that the representatives of the faction had departed for Delhi to seek a meeting with the high command.

Sources say the faction has headed to Delhi even as AICC in-charge of the state Bhupesh Baghel is scheduled to be in the state.

Show of Unity Amid Rift

Earlier on July 3, Channi had said that the Congress party leadership had urged him to present the sentiments and aspirations of the people of Punjab before the High Command.

However, former Congress MLA from Ludhiana, Simranjit Singh Bains, asserted that very soon, Punjab Congress state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Sardar Charanjit Singh Channi, and Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, along with the Congress High Command, will be seen together, demonstrating their unity. Speaking to the reporters, he emphasised unity within the Congress party, saying that the media is looking at the party with a "lens of division" "I will go to Channi Sahab's house, Randhawa's house, and also to our state president's house. I am standing in front of you. To blow this out of proportion, that "so and so is sitting at so and so's house," this is not about any division in the party, which you are looking at with a lens of division; you are putting a "scanner" of division on it. All your discussions will come to a halt when Raja Waring, Sardar Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhjinder Randhawa, and our entire high command are seen travelling in a single vehicle, arms in arms. We have cleared it. I have made it clear that all of us people, from Congress workers to leaders to the high command, are united," he said.

'Unity is Strength' Posts Go Viral

Earlier today, Veteran Congress leader and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa posted a picture of what appears to be the Charanjit Channi-led faction of the state unit. This picture had several leading lights of the Punjab Congress, like Manifesto Committee Co-Chairman and MLA Pargat Singh, Election Committee Co-Chairpersons Razia Sultana and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, among others.

Randhawa shared the photograph on the social media platform X with the pointed caption: "Unity is strength." The same picture was then shared by Charanjit Channi as well. Prominent absentees in the picture included PCC President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition in the assembly Partap Singh Bajwa and MLA Sukhpal Khaira. However, shortly after Randhawa and Channi, the official handle of the Punjab Congress posted the same picture, which was then posted by Warring as well, with the same caption of "Unity is Strength." Unity is strength! #Mission2027 https://t.co/5Y9zJ3d5jS — Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (@RajaBrar_INC) July 6, 2026

Rebellion Against Warring

On July 4, Channi had called for a critical meeting at his home in Morinda. Several leaders, including stalwarts like Bharat Bhushan Ashu, were in attendance and sounded the rebellion against Warring.

They demanded Warring's removal as Punjab Congress president, pitching Channi as the man to lead the party into the elections. The leaders called on the party high command to reconsider the recently announced organisational appointments in Punjab, asserting that the party would return to power under Channi's leadership. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)