Randhawa Backs Former Chief Minister; Raja Warring Claims Dissidents’ Meeting Was a Party Strategy Session

Chandigarh, 06 July (H.S.): The internal crisis in the Punjab Congress continues to intensify. Former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and several senior leaders held a meeting on Monday, which is being seen as a show of strength by the dissident camp. However, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring tried to project the meeting as part of the party’s organisational exercise by sharing it on social media.

Charanjit Singh Channi has adopted an aggressive stance over the past few days. Leaders close to him have also decided to maintain distance from the meeting with Punjab Congress in-charge Bhupesh Baghel. According to party sources, the Channi camp now wants to speak directly with Rahul Gandhi.

Meanwhile, Gurdaspur Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has come out in support of Channi. Randhawa held a meeting with several leaders in Mohali. Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh and newly appointed working president Sangat Singh Gilzian were also seen with Channi for the first time.

Randhawa and Channi shared photographs and videos of the meeting on their social media accounts. Channi wrote that the meeting was in continuation of the earlier meeting. The pictures showed Channi along with Randhawa, MLA Barindermeet Singh Pahra, Pargat Singh, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sangat Singh Gilzian, former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, former MLA Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon and other leaders. The caption on the photograph, “Unity is Strength.” Punjab Congress president Raja Warring was not seen in the group picture.

On the other hand, Raja Warring shared the same photograph from the official social media handle of Punjab Congress and described it as a party meeting. The post stated that, in view of the upcoming Assembly elections, Punjab Congress campaign committee chairman Charanjit Singh Channi and core committee chairman Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa held an important meeting with their teams to discuss strategy.

Warring’s attempt to present the dissident camp’s meeting as an official Congress meeting has triggered a fresh controversy within the state unit. The development has further exposed the widening divide in the Punjab Congress ahead of the next Assembly elections.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH