Punjab Congress rift out in open as Charanjit Channi visits suspended leader
Punjab chief minister and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi on Saturday visited the residence of suspended Congress leader Madan Lal Jalalpur in Patiala and urged
Punjab chief minister and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi on Saturday visited the residence of suspended Congress leader Madan Lal Jalalpur in Patiala and urged the party leadership to revoke the action against him. The move came amid continuing factionalism in the Punjab Congress, with slogans in Channi's support raised at party district unit programmes in Patiala and Sangrur earlier in the day. Read Full Story Channi also stayed away from the district Congress committee programme in Patiala, which was attended by AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab Bhupesh Baghel and Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. Jalalpur, who is seen among leaders aligned with the Channi camp, was suspended over his alleged remarks against the party leadership.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Channi strongly backed Jalalpur and said the suspension should be withdrawn. "Madan Lal Jalalpur is my brother. He is an asset and such leaders should be preserved, not sidelined," he said. Channi said Jalalpur had won two Assembly elections from Ghanaur and had played an important role in the victories of former MP Preneet Kaur and Dr Dharamvira Gandhi. Referring to the suspension, Channi said only the competent authority in the Congress high command could take such a decision after due procedure. He said he would personally raise the issue with Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and the party leadership.
"We should move together like a bouquet, taking everyone along. Congress can only become stronger if experienced leaders remain united," he said. Channi said several senior Congress leaders had either been suspended or had left the party in recent years, and urged the organisation to avoid further divisions. He also asked party workers to maintain discipline during meetings and avoid sloganeering that could deepen internal discord. "Our fight is not among ourselves. Our fight is for Punjab. We have to strengthen Congress and take everyone along," he said, adding that the party should focus on issues affecting Punjab, including unemployment, alleged paper leaks and governance concerns, instead of internal rivalries.
Patiala MP Dharamvira Gandhi and other leaders were also present at Jalalpur's residence. The developments came as Baghel continued his tour of Punjab, where he is scheduled to visit several Assembly constituencies and hold meetings with district and block-level leaders. The latest scenes in Patiala and Sangrur underlined that infighting in the Punjab Congress has continued despite the party leadership's repeated claims that it is working to build unity ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Ends
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