Amid dinner diplomacy, signs of ‘realignment’ in Punjab Congress

A “realignment” seems to be taking place in the Punjab Congress with warring party factions reaching a “tactical understanding” ahead of the state Assembly elections amid mounting pressure from the central leadership to put up a united show, according to sources.

Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa hosted a dinner for senior party leaders at his Chandigarh residence on Monday. Former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, state Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and former Speaker Rana KP Singh turned up for the dinner. Legislators Sukhbinder Sarkaria, Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Aruna Chaudhary, Rana Gurjeet Singh and Sukhpal Khaira were also present.

All-India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary incharge for Punjab Bhupesh Baghel too turned up for the dinner.

Leaders supporting Bajwa said being the seniormost leader, his “dinner diplomacy” was significant after the Congress high command recently asked state party leaders to fall in line.

Party insiders said the presence of leaders in the Channi faction — Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Kushaldeep Dhillon, Tript Bajwa and Sukhbinder Sarkaria — at the dinner indicated a “tactical understanding” between the two warring groups in the state unit.

Earlier, prominent Jat leaders, who had in January this year sought time from the party high command to discuss pressing Punjab Congress issues, had Bajwa loyalists among the 37 signatories, who had contested the 2022 elections.

“The joint representation was shown to the party high command as pressure was being exerted to replace the state top brass,” said a former minister.

Top leaders pressed for unity in Punjab Congress

After the representation landed in Delhi last month, AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said that the leaders were welcome to meet anyone in the high command in their individual capacity. He, however, made it clear that no groupism would be tolerated.

In November last year, Channi had organised an ‘akhand path’ bhog ceremony on the birthday of his 33-year-old son, apparently to assert his stake in the party.

Those who were present included Warring, Bajwa, Randhawa, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Rana KP, Pargat Singh, Sarkaria, Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Aruna Chaudhary, Rana Gurjeet Singh and Khaira.

The party sources said more such dinners were expected to be hosted by other senior leaders in the coming days.