Punjab Congress chief Warring set to resign amid factional dispute
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring is expected to leave as Punjab Congress president after weeks of internal conflict, according to party sources cited by The Hindu. Vijay Inder Singla is reportedly the leading contender to replace him, as Congress leaders seek to unite rival factions before the 2027 Assembly election.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring is expected to be replaced after weeks of factional conflict within the state unit, party sources said. Warring has offered to resign after being informed of the high command’s decision, according to the sources. Former minister and MP Vijay Inder Singla has emerged as the leading contender for the post ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly election.
Singla, a member of the Congress Working Committee, was appointed chairperson of the party’s election management and coordination committee on July 1. Other names being considered include former Olympian and Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh, former MLA Rana KP Singh, Raja Sansi MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. A formal announcement is expected soon.
The change followed discussions involving Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal and Punjab affairs in-charge Sachin Pilot, sources said. The party is seeking a leader capable of bringing together the Warring and Channi camps before the state election.
Factionalism intensified after Congress retained Warring as state president and appointed Channi chairperson of its campaign committee. A section of leaders led by Channi opposed Warring’s continuation and called for his removal. Channi’s supporters have also sought his designation as the party’s chief ministerial candidate for the 2027 election.
Attempts to ease the dispute during visits by former Punjab affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel did not produce an apparent truce. During the party’s ‘Har Booth, Congress Mazboot’ campaign, Channi supporters raised slogans backing him, while verbal clashes between supporters of the two leaders were reported at several meetings. The dispute has added to concerns about the Congress’s organisation ahead of the election.
The party won 18 seats in the 2022 Assembly polls, compared with 77 in 2017. The state unit also experienced a major leadership conflict before the 2022 election, when Amarinder Singh was removed as Chief Minister and Channi was selected for the role.
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