Chandigarh: The much-awaited meeting between the Charanjit Singh Channi-led dissident faction and Punjab in charge Bhupesh Baghel took place on Saturday but the deadlock remains.The Channi camp unanimously reiterated its demand for the removal of Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, with former deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa telling reporters that Congress needed “a fearless leader, not a compromised one”. Congress’s prospects in the 2027 assembly elections were doomed if Warring remained state party chief, they said. As demanded by the dissidents, Warring wasn’t at the meeting.Baghel, however, stood firm on the Congress high command’s decision, reiterating that there would be no change in the organisational appointments. He assured the dissidents that their concerns would be conveyed to the high command and, in a show of solidarity, travelled with Warring to the airport.Baghel insisted that there was no disagreement over the decisions taken by Congress high command. “It is my responsibility to ensure that there is no compromised leader in the party. If a leader is compromised with BJP or AAP, how can he function?” Baghel said.Warring remarked there was no place in the party for any “sleeper cell” either. “Randhawa is absolutely right. If anyone is compromised, they cannot remain with us. We do not need any sleeper cell or compromised leader in Congress. There have been allegations that various leaders have met BJP or some leaders from Uttar Pradesh and, at times, even Aam Aadmi Party functionaries. Punjab does not need a compromised leader,” Warring said.Around 70 members from the dissident camp gathered at the residence of Congress veteran Rana Gurjeet Singh for the Baghel meet. Apart from Channi and Randhawa, there were Pargat Singh, OP Soni, Partap Singh Bajwa, Aruna Chaudhary, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Mohammad Sadiq, Balkaur Singh Sidhu and Barindermeet Singh Pahra.According to sources, all of them trained their guns on Warring, accusing him of alienating party workers and centralising the functioning of Punjab Congress. Leading the charge, Channi alleged during the meeting that attempts were made by Warring’s camp to defame him by spreading rumours that he was in touch with BJP. He told Baghel that cases were registered against him by both state and Central govts but that he had never compromised and would not do so in future.Sources said Channi expressed anguish over what he described as a sustained campaign of character assassination against him. His only request, he said, was a change in PPCC leadership.Balkaur Singh Sidhu, father of slain singer Sidhu Moosewala, also criticised Warring’s style of functioning. In an emotional intervention, Balkaur Singh reportedly told Baghel that while he had lost his son, he did not want Congress to lose as well. He said he was not concerned whether the party gave him a ticket and only wanted justice in his son’s murder case.Deputy leader of opposition Aruna Chaudhary is learnt to have expressed reservations over Warring’s leadership and warned that unless corrective action was taken, the party’s electoral prospects could suffer. Barindermeet Singh Pahra said there was widespread resentment among the members and said he was unwilling to contest the next election under Warring’s leadership.Even Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa urged the Congress high command to review its decision to retain Warring as PPCC president. Randhawa and Rana Gurjeet Singh called for a change in the state leadership, saying workers were disappointed with the decision to continue with Warring. According to sources, they said several of Warring’s statements made during recent byelection campaigns had adversely affected the party, particularly his remarks on former Union home minister Buta Singh.Randhawa said, “We conveyed the apprehensions of party workers. They want Congress to take decisions that can bring the party back to office.”Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh said everyone had the right to express their point of view. “We apprised Baghel of the ground reality, and he assured us that he would try to incorporate all the suggestions into the party’s future strategy. I am confident he will convey these concerns to the high command. I believe our concerns have been communicated effectively,” he said.Asserting that the party was united, Baghel told mediapersons, “I came here at the invitation of Rana Gurjeet Singh. We had a detailed discussion, and the leaders placed their concerns before me. No one has any reservations about the decisions of the high command. Everyone is with the high command. Some issues were raised, and I will convey them to the leadership. I have assured them that everyone’s interests will be protected and that no one should feel they lack the support of the party leadership.” He told the dissidents that tickets for the 2027 polls will be distributed on the basis of winnability.Warring agrees: ‘No compromised leader or sleeper cell’Warring, too, endorsed Randhawa’s statement, saying, “Randhawa is absolutely right. If anyone is compromised, they cannot remain with us. We do not need any sleeper cell or compromised leader in the Congress. There have been allegations against different leaders of meeting BJP leaders, some leaders from Uttar Pradesh and, at times, even Aam Aadmi Party leaders. Punjab does not need a compromised leader.”On the meeting held in his absence, Warring said, “What is wrong if they went to air their grievances? That too was a Congress leader’s house. There may be some issues with me, but we are all together and they are all respected leaders of the party.”
