'Not A Gudda-Guddi Game': Inside Punjab Congress Power Struggle Ahead Of The 2027 Battle
'Not A Gudda-Guddi Game': Inside Punjab Congress Power Struggle Ahead Of The 2027 Battle Published By, Last Updated: July 09, 2026, 14:54 IST The latest
'Not A Gudda-Guddi Game': Inside Punjab Congress Power Struggle Ahead Of The 2027 Battle Published By, Last Updated: July 09, 2026, 14:54 IST The latest round of friction has prompted senior Congress leader and Punjab affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel to hold a series of meetings with party leaders. Rapid Read Leaders aligned with Channi have reportedly questioned the decision to continue with Raja Warring as the state unit chief. (AI generated image) The Congress is once again battling a familiar challenge in Punjab – internal dissent. Barely days after reorganising its state unit ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, the party is facing open resistance from a section of senior leaders unhappy with the appointments announced by the high command. The latest round of friction has prompted senior Congress leader and Punjab affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel to hold a series of meetings with party leaders in Chandigarh and later in Delhi in an effort to contain the crisis. Even as some dissident leaders camped in the national capital seeking an audience with the party’s central leadership, the Congress high command has made it clear that it is not considering a change in the state’s leadership. What Triggered The Latest Crisis? The immediate flashpoint was the Congress high command’s organisational reshuffle for Punjab as it prepares for the 2027 Assembly elections. The party decided to retain Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC). At the same time, Partap Singh Bajwa was given charge of the election management committee, while former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi was appointed chairman of the campaign committee. The appointments were projected by the Congress as an attempt to balance organisational leadership, legislative experience and election preparedness. However, a section of leaders viewed the arrangement as reinforcing the existing leadership rather than addressing their concerns over the party’s functioning.
Several senior leaders subsequently stayed away from meetings convened by Baghel in Chandigarh, signalling that the differences had moved into the open. Instead, members of the dissident camp held separate consultations and later travelled to Delhi to press for intervention by the party’s central leadership. What Are The Dissidents Demanding? Leaders aligned with Channi have reportedly questioned the decision to continue with Raja Warring as the state unit chief and have sought a review of the organisational appointments announced by the Congress. The dissident camp has argued that the leadership structure should be reconsidered ahead of the Assembly elections, while maintaining that their objections are aimed at strengthening the party rather than weakening it. According to reports, some leaders also believe the organisational changes do not adequately reflect the political realities on the ground. The unease within the Punjab Congress was also reflected in a cryptic social media post by senior Congress MP Manish Tewari, who was left out of the party’s revamped organisational structure and election panels announced earlier this month. Soon after the reshuffle, Tewari posted on X, “Que sera, sera (Whatever will be, will be)," along with the remark, “Wish I had an antidote for the insecurities of individuals and institutions." While he did not name anyone or directly refer to the reshuffle, the post was widely interpreted as an expression of disappointment over the party’s decisions and added to the perception of widening discontent within the Punjab Congress. What Has The Congress High Command Said? The Congress leadership has publicly ruled out revisiting its decision. Addressing reporters during his meetings in Punjab this week, Bhupesh Baghel said, “No pressure works on the Congress high command," making it clear that public pressure or parallel meetings would not influence the party’s decisions. Baghel also dismissed speculation about replacing Raja Warring, saying the appointment of a state Congress president “is not a game of gudda-guddi (playing with dolls)" and that there is no tradition in the party of reversing such decisions once taken by the high command.
The BriefWire