Warring consolidates support in Ludhiana
Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has managed to keep most of the party's leadership in Ludhiana united behind him, in contrast to former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who saw four out of five sitting MLAs from his Jalandhar constituency abstain from his show of strength in Morinda recently. Only Shahkot MLA Hardev Singh Laddi attended Channi's meeting, which local Congress leaders attribute to Laddi's close ties with former minister and prominent dissident Rana Gurjeet Singh.
No sitting MLAs, but contesting candidates back Warring
In the Ludhiana parliamentary constituency, the Congress does not have any sitting MLAs from its eight Assembly segments. However, most of the party's former candidates and constituency in-charges have rallied behind Warring. These include Kuldeep Singh Vaid, Surinder Dawer, Sanjay Talwar, Pawan Dewan, and Captain Sandeep Sandhu. Talwar serves as the District Congress Committee president, while Sandhu is the general secretary in-charge of the Punjab Congress Committee.
One notable exception is former MLA Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who has distanced himself from Warring. Ashu, Warring, and Ravneet Singh Bittu (now in BJP) were once considered the Congress triumvirate of Ludhiana. After Bittu defected to the BJP and Warring contested from Ludhiana in his place, Ashu and Warring fell out. Ashu largely avoided campaigning for Warring in the 2024 General Elections and later insisted that Warring not campaign for him during the 2025 Ludhiana West by-election, despite Warring being the local MP and PCC president.
Support from former MLAs
Warring also enjoys the backing of two former MLAs, Simarjit Singh Bains and Balwinder Singh Bains, who joined the Congress ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections. According to a local Congress leader, this broad support base has helped Warring withstand challenges from rebels seeking his removal.
Channi's contrasting situation
In Jalandhar, Channi's influence appears weaker. Apart from Laddi, MLAs Pargat Singh, Bawa Henry, Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, and Sukhwinder Singh Kotli all skipped his Morinda meeting. The local leader noted that Laddi's attendance was due to his proximity to Rana Gurjeet Singh, a prominent dissenter. This divergence highlights Warring's stronger grip on his home turf amid internal party tensions.
