Members of the Channi-Randhawa faction of the Punjab Congress are boycotting party programs to demand the removal of state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring [1, 2].
This internal revolt threatens to destabilize the party's organization as it prepares for the 2027 assembly elections [3]. The conflict highlights a deep divide between the state leadership and senior party figures who believe the current direction is detrimental to their electoral prospects.
The faction includes former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, MLA Pargat Singh, and other senior leaders [1, 2]. These members have decided to avoid all official party events attended by Warring until he is replaced as president [1, 2].
To escalate their demands, senior leaders of the faction traveled to Delhi to raise the issue directly with the Congress high command [1, 2]. The group said that Warring's leadership is harming the party's standing in the state [1, 2].
Efforts to resolve the infighting have been frequent but inconclusive. The party held four meetings in 12 days to address the rift [4]. Despite these attempts to mediate, the Channi-Randhawa group continues to push for a change in leadership.
While some reports indicate that the party had previously decided to retain Warring for the upcoming polls, the current boycott suggests a breakdown in communication between the state president and the dissident faction [1, 2]. The standoff remains unresolved as the group seeks a definitive intervention from the national leadership in Delhi [1, 2].
“The Channi-Randhawa faction decided to boycott all party programmes attended by Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring.”
The open defiance of the state president by a high-profile faction indicates a crisis of authority within the Punjab Congress. With the 2027 assembly elections approaching, the party's inability to resolve internal leadership disputes may hinder its ability to present a united front against political opponents, potentially alienating voters and party workers.
