Punjab Congress rift deepens as Sukhjinder Randhawa, Pargat Singh join Channi camp

3 min readChandigarhUpdated: Jul 6, 2026 02:17 PM IST

Randhawa, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Pargat Singh, Barindermeet Singh Pahra, Razia Sultana and Kuldeep Singh Dhillon were present at the meeting. (File Photo)

Amid the deepening rift in the Punjab Congress, several senior party leaders, including Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, joined hands with former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi at a meeting in Mohali Monday, in what is being seen as a fresh show of strength by leaders seeking a change in the state leadership.

The meeting coincided with the arrival of AICC general secretary in charge of Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel, in Chandigarh for a five-day visit aimed at addressing factionalism within the party following the decision to retain Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).

According to Congress sources, the group resolved to boycott Warring’s official engagements as part of its protest.

Among those present at the Mohali meeting were Randhawa, newly appointed Punjab Congress working president Sangat Singh Gilzian, Jalandhar MLA Pargat Singh, Gurdaspur MLA Barindermeet Singh Pahra, former MLA Razia Sultana, Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh, and Barnala MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhillon. The leaders also posed for photographs with Channi and his supporters after the meeting.

Former MLA and Channi supporter Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Madan Lal Jalalpur, Kushaldeep Singh ‘Kiki’ Dhillon, newly appointed OBC Cell Chairman, co-chairperson of the election management and coordination committee and former Nawanshahar MLA Angad Saini, former MLAs Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Gurpeet Kangar, sitting MLA Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Inderbir Singh Bolariq, Majitha Halka in-charge Bhagwan Singh Sachar, and former MLA Devinder Singh Gubaya were also present at the meeting.

More leaders join in

What began as a meeting at Channi’s residence in Morinda last Friday has now gathered momentum, with more leaders from across the state joining those demanding Warring’s removal as the state unit chief.

Party insiders said at least three sitting MLAs, a couple of former ministers and several district-level leaders, who had so far stayed away from the public infighting, have now extended support to the Channi camp.

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Sources close to Channi also claimed support is growing across the Malwa, Majha and Doaba regions.

“More leaders are reaching out every hour. They see Channi as the natural choice for both the PPCC president’s post and the party’s chief ministerial face,” a senior MLA said on condition of anonymity.

Another leader, requesting anonymity, said the group would leave for New Delhi later in the day to meet the Congress high command and press its demands.

Randhawa, Channi, and Pargat Singh could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.

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Meanwhile, Warring shared photographs from the Mohali meeting on social media, captioned “Unity is strength.” His camp maintained that there was no factionalism in the party, despite the developments unfolding over the past few days.

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