No Punjab Congress leadership change ahead of 2027 Assembly polls: Baghel

Chandigarh: AICC general secretary and Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday ruled out any change in the state party leadership, saying such decisions are not “gudda-guddi ka khel” (child’s play) to be changed repeatedly. Baghel’s statement is significant as the Punjab Congress is currently in the grip of severe internal strife. A group of senior leaders, led by former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi , has been openly opposing Amarinder Singh Raja Warring’s continuation as the state party chief and demanding that Channi be given the top state post. They have so far boycotted meetings called by Baghel in Chandigarh and instead flew directly to Delhi last week to meet the party high command. Baghel has been in the city on a five-day visit since Monday to address the rift in the party. He is expected to hold separate meetings with rival factions in a bid to ensure unity. Addressing newspersons here, Baghel said he would soon meet Channi. पंजाब चुनाव के लिए कांग्रेस के वरिष्ठ नेताओं के साथ बैठक हुई. उसमें सभी ने एक स्वर से हाईकमान के निर्णय का स्वागत किया और उनके प्रति आभार व्यक्त किया है. राजा वड़िंग जी दोबारा अध्यक्ष बने, साथ ही हमारे तीन वर्किंग प्रधान बने, उन सबको हमने बधाइयाँ दी. अब हम चुनाव की तैयारी में… pic.twitter.com/LD0jbHCWXo — Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) July 8, 2026 Punjab Assembly polls are due in early 2027. The factional war was triggered by a recent organisational reshuffle in the Punjab Congress ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls. The party has named several senior leaders in different Punjab Congress committees, including the campaign, manifesto, election management and coordination committees. It has also chosen to retain both Warring as the state party chief and Partap Bajwa as Leader of Opposition. The AICC decision, however, has backfired, with leaders backing Channi demanding that he be made Punjab Congress president to lead the party’s campaign for the upcoming Assembly election. The group includes several former ministers and MLAs. Meanwhile, former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa’s recent meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah has created ripples in political circles. Congress MP from Chandigarh Manish Tewari, who has also been left out of the committees, has reacted sharply to the appointments.