Channi Hosts Gathering of Disgruntled Leaders
Two days after the Congress retained Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as its Punjab unit president, former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who was a claimant for the top post, on Friday put up a show of strength at his house in Morinda. The four-hour meeting was attended by nearly 60 party leaders, most of them figuring in poll committees constituted by the Congress. Over 20 former and sitting MLAs, including ex-ministers Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Sukhbinder Sarkaria, OP Soni and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, and Parminder Pal Pinki, were present. Balkaur Singh, the father of slain singer Sidhu Moosewala, and a leader seen close to both Partap Singh Bajwa and Sukhjinder Randhawa were also there.
Resignations and Grievances
Sources said several of those named in the poll committees “tendered their resignations” to Channi, authorising him to “take up their grievances with the high command over the next fortnight”. The disgruntled leaders are learnt to be seeking time to meet former party president Rahul Gandhi once he returned from abroad next week. “The Congress leaders called on me at my residence and urged me to present the sentiments and aspirations of the Punjab people before the top leadership,” Channi posted on X after the meeting.
Demands for Reconsideration
Former minister Tript Bajwa said they were ready to put in all their might to ensure the Congress victory in the elections, but their demand for reconsidering the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee list must be met. “We have no other issues…. Our only request is that the voice of the people must be heard for the betterment of the party,” he said. Strategies on organising large rallies and ways to persuade the high command were discussed, the sources said. “Channi prevailed upon the leaders, saying the issue needs to be taken up with the party high command first as all of us are a Congress family,” said a senior leader present at the meeting.
Warring Camp Dismisses Gathering
On the other hand, leaders close to Warring called the gathering at Channi’s house a “poor show”. A senior leader from the camp said the party high command had been provided the list of leaders who attended the meeting and who didn’t. The sources said the high command was keenly watching the developments and was likely to engage in back-end parleys with the Channi camp to end the crisis. Incidentally, Channi had organised an ‘akhand path bhog’ ceremony in November last year on the 33rd birthday of his son to assert his clout in the state unit.
