THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Congress unveils Punjab poll team, retains Warring and Bajwa in state ... The Congress on Wednesday appointed former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi as chairman of its Campaign Committee for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, while making it clear that there will be no change in the state unit leadership. The party retained Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) and Pratap Singh Bajwa as leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), effectively ending speculation over a possible leadership change ahead of the Assembly polls scheduled early next year. Former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has been named chairperson of the party's Core Committee, while former state minister Vijay Inder Singla will head the Election Management and Coordination Committee. Congress MP Amar Singh has been appointed chairman of the Manifesto Committee. "Congress president has appointed chairpersons of election-related committees for the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab, with immediate effect -- Campaign Committee chairperson Charanjit Singh Channi, Election Management and Coordination Committee chairperson Vijay I…

Punjab Congress overhaul: No question of changing the leadership, says Bhupesh Baghel “The decision to retain Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as State president has been welcomed by State leaders,” Mr. Baghel said

Punjab Congress dissent erupts over AICC list; Channi camp holds show ... The Congress high command’s decision to retain the status quo in Punjab has triggered open dissent within the state unit, with a section of party leaders demanding a change in the state leadership and giving the party high command seven days to review its decision. In a show of strength, around 50 Congress leaders, including four sitting MLAs, 18 former MLAs and former ministers, gathered at Jalandhar MP and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s residence in Chamkaur Sahib on Friday. The meeting, which lasted nearly four hours, ended with a unanimous demand that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) reconsider its recent organisational appointments, particularly the decision to retain Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president. The dissent comes days after the AICC announced its new Punjab office-bearers, retaining Warring as the state unit chief and Partap Singh Bajwa as the leader of opposition. Channi, who was being projected by a section of leaders as the frontrunner for the PPCC chief’s post, was instead appointed chairman of the party’s campaign…

Rift deepens in Punjab Congress, rebels join forces to oust Warring CHANDIGARH: The factionalism in the Punjab Congress deepens. With the Congress camp of Former Chief Minister and Member of Parliament Charanjit Singh Channi pushing for leadership change in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly Elections. This faction had closed ranks to strongly oppose the continuation of Amarinder Raja Warring as the state unit president and is willing to accept anyone except Warring as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief. Against this backdrop, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel, arrived in the state on Monday to meet the party leadership. Meanwhile, the leaders of the Channi Camp who are now joined by other leaders, including former Deputy Chief Minister and Member of Parliament Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and senior leader and MLA Pargat Singh, have refused to meet Bhagel and left for Delhi. The battle for the Punjab Congress leadership escalated as senior leaders opposed to Warring joined forces ahead of AICC state affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel’s visit today. As the disgruntled faction met in Mohali in the morning and decided to boycott al…

Punjab Congress rift deepens as Channi camp boycotts Warring-led party ... The internal rift in the Punjab Congress has intensified following the party's recent organisational overhaul, with former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi emerging as one of the key dissenting voices against the reshuffle. Despite speculation over a leadership change, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring was retained as the Punjab Congress president, a decision that has further widened the divide within the state unit. In a significant show of dissent, the Channi-Randhawa camp has decided to stay away from all Punjab Congress programmes where RajaWarringis present in his capacity as the state party chief. The move is being seen as an open expression of displeasure over the high command's decision to continue with the existing leadership. Sources said the Channi-Randhawa faction has also escalated the matter to the Congress high command. Former Punjab minister and MLA Pargat Singh, along with several other legislators, has left for Delhi to convey the group's concerns directly to the party leadership. The development comes despite senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel's recent visit to Chandigarh, where he…

Punjab Congress dissidents in no mood to back down, await high command ... A day after former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi's residence in Morinda witnessed a major show of strength by his supporters, the Congress dissident camp is waiting for a response from the party high command while indicating that it is in no mood to back down from its demand for a change in the Punjab Congress leadership. Sources told The Tribune that Channi was in Delhi on Saturday, triggering speculation over possible efforts to break the political deadlock that has emerged in the Punjab unit following the recent organisational appointments made by the Congress ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Also read:‘Channi like elder brother’: Warring breaks silence after Morinda meet over Punjab Cong reshuffle According to sources close to the former CM, back-channel communication has begun between leaders of the dissident camp and members of the Congress high command. However, they maintained that no formal talks have taken place so far. The sources said any meaningful discussions are likely to take place only after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi returns from his visit to the United States. On Friday, Ch…

Social media post exposes Punjab Congress infighting; senior leaders ... Factional feud within the Punjab Congress escalated sharply on Monday after a single social media post exposed deep divisions in the state unit, just hours before the arrival of newly appointed party in-charge Bhupesh Baghel. In a calculated show of strength, senior Congress leader and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa shared a photograph online featuring former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi alongside key state heavyweights. The lineup included MLAs Barindermeet Singh Pahra, Pargat Singh, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, and former MLA Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon. Advertisement Captioned “Unity is Strength”, the photograph was quickly reposted by Channi. However, the conspicuous absence of Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring from the frame triggered intense political speculation about a coordinated effort to isolate the state unit chief. Advertisement Unity is Strength pic.twitter.com/BmhflmIeDC — Charanjit Singh Channi (@CHARANJITCHANNI) July 6, 2026 The development is seen as a direct challenge to the party high command’s recent decision to retain…

No Leadership Change In Punjab Congress Channi Gets Key Election Role The Congress on Tuesday retained its existing leadership in Punjab ahead of the Assembly elections, putting to rest speculation over a possible organisational reshuffle. The party's central leadership decided to continue with Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as Punjab Congress president and Pratap Singh Bajwa as Leader of the Congress Legislature Party. Former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the party's campaign committee, while several election-related committees have also been constituted with immediate effect. In a statement issued by AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal, the Congress announced the appointment of chairpersons for key election-related committees in Punjab while retaining the state's existing leadership structure. Amarinder Singh Raja Warring will continue as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, while Pratap Singh Bajwa will remain Leader of the Congress Legislature Party. The decision comes despite weeks of speculation that the party could replace its state leadership ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections. Senior leaders…

Congress retains Raja Warring as Punjab chief, puts Channi in charge of ... Retaining Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as the face of the party organisation in Punjab, the Congress on Wednesday unveiled its election architecture for the upcoming Assembly polls, putting former chief minister Charanjit Channi in charge of the campaign and signalling that the party is banking on familiar hands as it seeks to stage a comeback in the state. The All India Congress Committee announced that Warring will continue as president of the Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee, while senior leader Partap Bajwa will remain the leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Punjab. Channi has been appointed chairman of the campaign committee, a move that places the former chief minister at the forefront of the party's electoral outreach and mobilisation efforts in the run-up to the election. Former minister Vijay Inder Singla has been named chairman of the Election Management and Coordination Committee, which will oversee the party's organisational and electoral preparations, while senior leader Sukhjinder Randhawa has been entrusted with heading the Core Committee. The Congress has also tasked Amar Singh…

'Will fight for Punjab together': Warring plays down rift with Channi ahead of polls Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has dismissed rumours of internal party rifts, assuring that senior leaders will soon unite. He addressed speculation about replacing him with Charanjit Singh Channi, stating that Channi remains a respected leader and meetings among party members are normal. Warring emphasized that indiscipline would not be tolerated and that unity would be showcased soon for the upcoming elections.

Congress finalises leadership for Punjab polls The Congress party has finalized its Punjab leadership for the upcoming assembly elections, retaining Amarinder Raja Warring as state president. Dalit leader Charanjit Channi will head the campaign committee, a move aimed at appealing to the community. Partap Singh Bajwa remains the leader of the opposition. These appointments signal a focus on organizational unity and community outreach as the party prepares for the polls.