In an unprecedented move, the Congress on Thursday publicly cracked its whip on “indiscipline” in the party’s Punjab unit. The all-powerful general secretary (organisation), K C Venugopal, personally briefed the media after the high command’s meeting with state leaders. He was categorical, loud and clear that indiscipline would not be tolerated at any cost. While Venugopal does brief the media personally on occasion, his tone and tenor this time reflected firm and strict command.
Normally, the party high command attempts to strike a balance among different factions within the party. This time, however, Venugopal made it clear that the high command recognises only the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. In the same vein, he also ruled out any leadership change in Punjab at this stage. That, arguably, is the right call, as it is too late for any new incumbent to settle in, with the next Assembly elections just a year away. The current Assembly term ends in February 2027.
The party high command could have been more subtle in handling the situation. As such, there is no apparent factionalism within the party in Punjab. The high command’s clear warning only amounted to an admission of a problem that is not as severe as it sounded. Various leaders are indeed raising their voices, but not in a discordant manner. Some are positioning themselves as chief ministerial candidates, which is their legitimate right. However, none has worked against, spoken against, or undermined fellow aspirants or the party.
There are multiple chief ministerial aspirants in Punjab, as elsewhere. For the Congress, or for that matter any party, it should be “the more, the merrier”. The presence of several contenders indicates strong leadership. The Punjab Congress currently has senior and seasoned leaders in place. Apart from Warring, the PCC president and former Indian Youth Congress president, there is Congress Legislative Party leader Partap Singh Bajwa, a former PCC president; Charanjit Singh Channi, a former Chief Minister; Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, AICC general secretary and former Deputy Chief Minister; and Rana Gurjeet Singh, a former minister with major business interests in the sugar and liquor industries. His son is also an Independent legislator who defeated the official party candidate in 2022, when the state was swept by the Aam Aadmi Party wave.
During Thursday’s meeting, the party high command reportedly made it clear to all leaders aspiring to be Chief Minister that the appointment is, and will remain, the sole prerogative of the high command. Aspirants were told that even securing victories for 30 candidates does not guarantee the chief minister’s post, as the decision will be taken later.
Also read: Congress caught in caste crosshairs in Punjab
This was apparently aimed at Charanjit Singh Channi, who has been positioning himself as the party’s chief ministerial face, having already served in the role and also belonging to the Dalit community. Punjab has around 34 per cent Dalit population. Recently, Channi courted controversy by stating publicly that Dalits were being ignored, as the top three party positions in the state, PCC president, CLP leader and state Mahila Congress president, were all held by “upper castes”. This was an indirect reference to the Jat Sikh community, which all three leaders belong to. The Jat Sikh community has long dominated Punjab politics, across parties, and the Congress is no exception.
By deciding to continue with the existing arrangement, as Venugopal ruled out any leadership change, the Congress high command has taken a significant risk, whether calculated or otherwise remains unclear. This means the current leadership structure will continue, with both the PCC president and the CLP leader being Jat Sikhs.
In the age of social media, where every statement is recorded and endlessly replayed, Channi’s remarks on Dalit marginalisation are likely to be amplified by opposition parties. However, Channi should arguably be the last person making such a claim, having been personally chosen as Chief Minister in 2021.
Punjab offers the Congress its best electoral hope. The party is currently viewed as a frontrunner for the 2027 Assembly elections. A perception has emerged that it is well-positioned to challenge and potentially replace the Aam Aadmi Party. At the same time, reports of “dissension and factionalism” have weakened, if not neutralised, that narrative. A common refrain in Punjab is that the Congress can succeed only if it fights the elections as a united force.
The party high command appears aware of this reality. While it has publicly cracked the whip, it will now need to engage in backroom dialogue to assuage those who were clearly the targets of the warning. Ideally, the high command need not have gone public with such a warning, as it amounts to acknowledging internal discord and cornering those perceived as dissenters.
Political parties usually avoid admitting such issues publicly. Perhaps the high command intended to send a firm and unambiguous message to enforce discipline. Whether it works for the Congress in Punjab remains to be seen.
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