Besides Channi, who made an unsuccessful bid to become the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president of the poll-bound state, senior party leader Sukhwinder Singh Randhawa had not reached the meeting either till Tuesday evening.
Baghel is on a visit to meet senior party leaders, including the recently appointed chairpersons of the poll-related panels and working presidents, to sort out the simmering issues within the party, especially in the wake of Channi and his supporters deciding to take up their grouse with the high command. Channi, who is the chairman of the party’s campaign committee, chose to be away from Punjab during Baghel’s visit and was reportedly in Delhi.
Asked by journalists about Channi’s absence, Warring sought to play down the issue. “We have a PCC meeting scheduled today. After that, there is a meeting with district chiefs. Channi sahab had clarified …and had said that he would be away for a day or two,” he said. “Baghelji spoke to him; when Baghelji addressed the press yesterday, he clarified that Channi sahab is out of town for two days and would meet later.”
