8
Rival supporters disrupt Sangrur organisational meeting despite Congress leadership’s push for unity before 2027 polls.
The Congress party’s attempt to project unity in Punjab suffered a serious setback on Saturday after rival supporters of Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi clashed openly during an organisational meeting in Sangrur, exposing the deep factional divide within the state unit. The meeting, attended by AICC Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel, Raja Warring and Charanjit Singh Channi, was meant to enercrowd control gise the organisation ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Instead, it ended in unprecedented chaos as supporters of the two leaders engaged in slogan-shouting and physical confrontation in the presence of the party’s central leadership. According to party leaders present at the venue, the confrontation began while Raja Warring was addressing the gathering. A section of workers owing allegiance to Channi started raising slogans of “Channi Zindabad”, repeatedly interrupting Warring’s speech. Within moments, Warring’s supporters responded with equally loud chants of “Warring Zindabad”, turning the meeting into a battleground. The verbal confrontation soon escalated into a physical clash, with rival groups allegedly throwing chairs at each other. Party workers rushed towards the stage as senior leaders attempted to calm the situation. Bhupesh Baghel, who has been touring Punjab to bridge differences between rival factions, was unable to restore order immediately as the disorder continued for several minutes.
The incident comes at a time when the Congress high command is trying to close ranks after retaining Raja Warring as Punjab Congress president despite strong objections from the Channi faction. The former Chief Minister and several senior leaders had earlier conveyed their dissatisfaction with Warring’s continuation to Baghel during separate meetings. Saturday’s developments have dealt a fresh blow to the party’s efforts to present a united face before the Assembly elections. Political observers say the public confrontation has underlined that the leadership dispute remains unresolved despite repeated interventions by the central leadership. The scenes from Sangrur are also likely to provide political ammunition to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and other rivals, who have repeatedly accused the Congress of being consumed by infighting.