NEW DELHI: Factional fault lines within the Punjab Congress came into the open on Friday after supporters of former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi publicly demanded that Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring be replaced, days after the party announced its organisational reshuffle ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.The show of strength came during a meeting of Channi’s supporters in Morinda, where several leaders openly backed the former chief minister to take over the top post in the state unit and projected him as the party’s chief ministerial face for the next Assembly polls.The development comes after the Congress high command appointed Channi as chairperson of the Campaign Committee while retaining Raja Warring as Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president, a move seen as balancing competing factions within the state unit.Addressing reporters, Congress leader Tarsem Singh DC questioned Raja Warring’s leadership and said the party would struggle to return to power under him.“Congress cannot form the government (under the leadership of Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring) as the public does not support him…The public wanted Amarinder Singh Raja Warring to be replaced as the Punjab Congress President…The public wants to see Charanjit Singh Channi as the next CM of Punjab…”Another Congress leader, Harminder Singh Gill, also backed Channi’s leadership ahead of the Assembly elections.“Elections are going to be held in Punjab in the coming days. In those elections, people want Channi Sahib to be number one. I do not want to comment on that (Raja Warring), but people want to see Channi Sahib in the number one position.”The public display of support for Channi comes just two days after the All India Congress Committee (AICC) announced key organisational appointments for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.According to a statement issued by AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge approved the appointments with immediate effect.Under the new structure, Channi has been named chairperson of the Campaign Committee, while Vijay Inder Singla will head the Election Management and Coordination Committee. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has been appointed chairperson of the Core Committee and Amar Singh will lead the Manifesto Committee.The Congress also confirmed that Amarinder Singh Raja Warring will continue as Punjab Congress president, while Pratap Singh Bajwa will remain the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in the state.The organisational reshuffle comes as political parties step up preparations for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. The BJP has already announced that it will contest all 117 Assembly seats independently, with state leaders asserting that the party aims to form the government on its own and implement a “double-engine” governance model.
