Pilot, who was appointed to the post replacing former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on September 5, held a series of meetings with state party leaders before submitting his report to the party high command to take a call on the leadership shake-up, they further said.
Read more: Congress’ Punjab test amid renewed push to oust warring
Warring is set to be replaced, following weeks of infighting in the state unit ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections, which are due early next year. The announcement on appointing a new Congress chief is expected soon.
The Congress high command has informed Warring of its decision, the sources said.
A senior Congress leader said the party had been discussing the issue of the state leadership for the past many days, before deciding on changing the Punjab Congress president.
The party is looking to appoint a leader who could take different factions along in the run-up to the 2027 assembly polls.Read more: Amit Shah pledges to end drug menace in Punjab by 2029
Former minister and ex-MP Vijay Inder Singla, a Hindu face, has emerged as the frontrunner for the post ahead of the polls, party sources said.
Besides Singla, the names of former Olympian and Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh, former MLA Rana KP Singh, Raja Sansi MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa are also doing the rounds for the post.
The party’s move to change the Punjab Congress president may bring an end to weeks of internal feud and bickering within the state unit that was triggered by the party’s high command’s decision to retain Warring as state unit president on July 1.
The internal rift, which even played out in the open, has threatened to hurt the party’s campaign ahead of the upcoming assembly elections as the Congress is eyeing a return to power in Punjab.
The factionalism has added to the perception that the Congress is struggling to put its house in order ahead of the crucial assembly polls.
Replying to a question on changing the Punjab Congress chief, former CM and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi said the decision on it is the party’s prerogative.
“It is the prerogative of Rahul Gandhi and (Mallikarjun) Kharge ji. Only they know who is to be appointed or when is to be changed,” Channi said while speaking to reporters in Delhi on Tuesday.
Responding to another question, Channi said with Pilot’s appointment as the party’s general secretary in-charge gave a “new hope” to party workers in the state.
Addressing factionalism was Pilot’s immediate challenge after his appointment. His predecessor Baghel failed to bring a truce between the factions of Channi and Warring. Channi’s supporters had even accused Baghel of “favouring” Warring.
The infighting was triggered after the Congress leadership on July 1 announced its decision to retain Warring as the state unit chief and appoint Channi as the chairperson of its campaign committee.
A section of leaders led by Channi opposed the move to retain Warring as the Punjab Congress president and sought his removal from the position.
Channi’s supporters have been seeking that he be announced as the chief ministerial face for the assembly polls.
Leaders aligned with the Channi camp did not take part in the party’s programmes led by Warring.
However, when Pilot led a Punjab Congress protest in Chandigarh against the AAP government on September 15, feuding factions of the state unit put up a show of unity and vowed to fight together for the people of Punjab.
Warring succeeded Navjot Singh Sidhu to become the Punjab Congress president in 2022. Later in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the party won seven parliamentary seats under his leadership in Punjab.
