The battle of political messaging within the Punjab Congress intensified on Monday, with state Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring strongly dismissing reports of factionalism even as former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi shared a photograph showcasing the leaders backing him.
Rejecting speculation of infighting, Warring insisted that all recent meetings of senior Congress leaders were aimed at strengthening the party and not at creating divisions.
“I have shared a photograph from my personal social media account showing all senior leaders together. It reflects the unity of the Congress,” Warring said, adding that meetings held in Mohali as well as at Channi's residence in Morinda were organised to strengthen the party.
Responding to the Morinda meeting, Warring remarked that it was a gathering of senior Congress leaders at the residence of Channi, who heads the party's campaign committee, and should not be viewed with unnecessary political suspicion.
He also said that several senior leaders who were absent from the Mohali meeting, including Partap Singh Bajwa, OP Soni, Rana KP Singh and Aruna Chaudhary, had met him separately.
“We are all together. Internal discussions should remain within the party. Within the next one or two days, you will see all Congress leaders sharing one stage,” Warring said.
Meanwhile, Channi's social media post has added a fresh political dimension to the ongoing developments. Describing it as a continuation of the previous meeting, Channi indicated that the photograph was meant to convey to the Congress high command which senior leaders were standing with him.
The picture features prominent leaders including Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Pargat Singh, Rana Gurjeet Singh and Sukhpal Singh Khaira, underlining the strength of the camp backing Channi.
Sources said the dissident camp is unlikely to meet Punjab affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel. They also indicated that the Congress high command is, for now, not inclined to make any organisational changes, believing that giving in to pressure could set a precedent for similar demands from other states.
According to sources, dissatisfied leaders are discussing options ranging from boycotting programmes led by the current state president to resigning from party positions if no change takes place. However, any final decision is expected only after a meeting with Rahul Gandhi.
While Raja Warring continues to project a picture of unity and insists there is no factionalism in the Punjab Congress, Channi's latest show of support has highlighted the influence of the dissident camp, setting the stage for crucial decisions by the party's central leadership in the coming days.
