Bhupesh Baghel snubs Channi, rules out Punjab Congress leadership change

3 min readChandigarhJul 8, 2026 01:34 PM IST

All India Congress Committee general secretary Bhupesh Baghel is on a five-day visit to Punjab, which goes to polls early next year. (Express Photo)

In a snub to the dissident Congress group led by former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday ruled out a change in the state Congress leadership, saying it was not a “gudda-guddi ka khel (child’s play)”.

Speaking to the media at the Congress headquarters in Chandigarh, where he is holding a series of meetings for the third day, Baghel clearly ruled out any rethink on changing Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as the state unit chief.

“When high command has taken a decision, that is not changed. Koi gudda guddi ka khel hai kya ke baar baar nirnay badla jayega? (Is this child’s play, that the decision will be changed over and over again?)” he said.

The announcement to retain Warring as the Punjab Congress chief came a week ago, alongside the unveiling of the party’s various committees for the 2027 Assembly elections.

Flanked by Warring, Baghel said in all the meetings with Congress leaders and workers on Tuesday, the party high command’s decisions were endorsed through a voice vote. “They congratulated Raja Warring on being retained as PCC president and thanked the party high command for the decision,” he said.

‘Will meet Channi, other leaders’

Though senior leaders backing Channi—and Channi himself—have yet to meet Baghel since his arrival in Chandigarh on Monday, the former Chhattisgarh chief minister said the meetings will take place soon. “I talked to him (Channi). The meeting will take place. (Sukhjinder Singh) Randhawa will also come and meet,” Baghel said, adding that he told the two leaders that if needed, he will go and meet them at their homes. “I have met other leaders too at their homes, and I can meet them too,” he said.

Earlier, Warring had said that Channi, the chairperson of the party’s campaign committee, and Randhawa, the head of the core committee, would meet Baghel soon. Channi had told Baghel that he would be out for a day or two, Warring had said.