Chandigarh, Jul 2 (PTI): Congress leader and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi is learnt to have called a meeting of his supporters at his residence on Friday, two days after the party’s central leadership decided to retain Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as Punjab Congress chief.
The announcement came on Wednesday, alongside the unveiling of the party’s various committees for the 2027 assembly polls.
Channi, who is said to be “miffed” at not being appointed at the post, remained incommunicado throughout Thursday. He is learnt to have not even congratulated the party high command for being appointed as chairperson of the campaign committee.
It is customary for party leaders to thank the party leadership following new announcements.
Channi’s supporters on Thursday expressed disappointment over not being given the post for which the former Punjab chief minister had been lobbying hard.
The Congress on Wednesday decided to continue with Warring as the state unit president. At the same time, it appointed Channi as chairperson of the campaign committee.
The party also did not make any change in the position of the leader of opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, which is currently held by senior party leader and Qadian MLA Partap Singh Bajwa.
Gurdaspur MP and former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has been appointed as chairperson of the core committee.
In a bid to check factionalism, the party accommodated several party leaders in different committees for the assembly polls due next year in the state.
Channi and Randhawa were seen as contenders for the state unit president.
Meanwhile, ruling AAP and the BJP suggested that all was not well within the Punjab Congress.
Reacting to the appointments in the Punjab Congress, AAP leader and Cabinet minister Harjot Singh Bains on Thursday claimed that Congress leaders Channi and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa have issued no statement or any message thanking the party leadership for their new assignments.
“Ambition buried deep in soil. Channi Saab, Randhawa Saab, ‘no statement, no celebration, no thanks. Seems like. ‘Dil ke armaan, aansuon mein beh gaye’ (desires of heart washed away in tears), for them,” Bains said in a post on X.
“2027 Bhagwant Mann Once More,” Bains further said.
Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu said that the Congress has distributed “lollipops” to everyone in the party instead of building a serious and effective organisation.
He said never before has the Congress released such a jumbo-sized organisational list.
It is surprising that even senior leaders who are members of the AICC and the Congress Working Committee (CWC) have been accommodated as chairpersons of various committees, said Bittu in a statement.
He questioned whether such senior leaders do not have the stature and responsibility to work for the Punjab Congress without being assigned additional designations.
“If every leader needs a post to remain relevant, what message does that send to the party workers?” he asked.
He remarked that the Punjab Congress headquarters in Chandigarh presents a deserted picture.
Asked for his reaction over the appointments in the Punjab Congress, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, “There is a situation of ‘Ek Anaar, 100 Bimaar’,” citing no atmosphere of celebration among senior Congress leaders.
In a mocking remark, Punjab BJP leader Pritpal Singh Baliawal asked, “Are all happy with the Congress list that came out yesterday?” “Because many haven’t even thanked the high command yet for their new responsibilities,” he asked. PTI CHS VSD AMJ AMJ
(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)
