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Amid tussle, Punjab Cong looks at a third option
A section of party leaders are backing the idea of appointing a third person, a senior Jatt Sikh as the state unit chief
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Amid the ongoing feud between former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and the Congress’ state unit chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, a section of the Punjab Congress had asked the party national leadership to consider a third alternative.
Channi is the former chief minister and the chairman of the manifesto committee in poll-bound Punjab but he is keen to take over 48-year-old Raja Warring’s post.
In the last few weeks, a section of the Punjab leaders has tossed the idea that a third person, a senior Jatt Sikh can be made the Congress unit chief. The issue also cropped up during Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel’s meeting with local leaders.
“Warring himself is a Jatt Sikh, but given his feud with Channi, we suggested that a senior leader such as leader of the Opposition in Punjab assembly Partap Singh Bajwa or former deputy CMSukhjinder Singh Randhawa could be considered,” said a leader.
Both Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and BJP’s Punjab unit chief Kewal Singh Dhillon are Jatt Sikhs — the dominant group of the Sikh population. SAD chief Sukhbir Badal also belongs to the same section.
A Congress strategist involved in the Punjab poll preparations, however, ruled out any possibility of change in the state leadership with barely six months left for the elections. “The leadership issue is over. Now we are preparing for the poll campaign. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi will start a bus yatra in Punjab next month and both Raja Warring and Channi will participate in it. The bus yatra would be a symbol of unity and change in Punjab,” he said on condition of anonymity on Wednesday.
The Congress strategist said that the idea of a third alternative was discussed briefly but the party does not want to repeat its mistake of 2022 when the then chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh stepped down as the party wanted to bring in a new face. The ploy backfired with the Congress’ seat share going down from 77 to just 18.
