Congress Sends Bhupesh Baghel to Delhi as Punjab Unit's Channi-Warring Rift Deepens Congress leaders Bhupesh Baghel and Pratap Singh Bajwa met K C Venugopal in Delhi to discuss the Punjab unit's internal rift, with Baghel handing over his report on the state's political situation. The Congress high command has stepped up efforts to resolve months of infighting within its Punjab unit ahead of the state elections. On Tuesday, a key meeting took place in Delhi at the residence of Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, where Bhupesh Baghel, the party's in-charge for Punjab, handed over his report on the state's political situation. What happened at Venugopal's residence Punjab's Leader of Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa and Bhupesh Baghel first arrived at K C Venugopal's residence in Delhi. During the meeting, Baghel handed Venugopal the report he had prepared on the current state of the Punjab Congress. According to party sources, the possibility of an immediate change in the state president's post was ruled out for now, though the leadership is exploring ways to placate the disgruntled faction. Earlier the same day, after returning from a foreign trip, Rahul Gandhi had met Congress president Kharge at his residence on Tuesday, where the Punjab situation was also discussed. The meeting between Venugopal and Baghel followed as part of the same round of consultations. What Bhupesh Baghel said After the meeting concluded, Bhupesh Baghel responded directly to questions about a possible change of state president. He said that changing the president is not a game of dolls. He added that he had handed over the Punjab report to Venugopal and had already met all the senior Punjab leaders before compiling it, so that every faction's views could be reflected. Raja Warring still holds the upper hand Party sources say Raja Warring will continue as state president for now, since a sudden leadership change could weaken the Congress organisation in Punjab. Sources add that 25 of the state's 29 district presidents are still backing Raja Warring. He also has the support of four Members of Parliament, along with eight to nine MLAs. That gives him a firm grip within the organisation. According to Congress sources, Warring has been serving as state president for four and a half years. The high command believes removing him just months before the election would weaken the party further, given his strong hold over the organisational structure. That is why the leadership is currently focused on pacifying the unhappy faction rather than making an immediate change. The Channi camp's three demands Before this latest meeting, the Channi faction had held a separate meeting with Bhupesh Baghel on July 11, where it placed three key demands before the high command. The first demand is that Raja Warring be removed from the post of state president. The second is that Charanjit Channi be declared the chief ministerial face for the upcoming assembly election. The third demand is that Channi's opinion be given due weight in the selection of candidates. Not much time left before the polls The term of the current Punjab assembly runs until March 2027, meaning there is not much time left before the next election. The Election Commission of India (ECI) will announce the exact polling dates in due course, but political parties have already begun preparing. The Aam Aadmi Party is working to win back public trust with claims of development as it seeks to retain power, while the BJP too is nursing ambitions of a win in Punjab. Amid this, the biggest challenge for the Congress is to calm the discord within its own ranks. The party is trying to resolve its internal differences before the election so that it can rebuild its footing in Punjab. It remains to be seen how the high command balances the Channi and Warring camps in the coming weeks, and what strategy each of the three main parties adopts to win over voters. What this means for you • Across India: This infighting inside the Congress could shape the party's national strategy and its role as the main opposition ahead of the upcoming Punjab assembly election. • In Punjab: Continuing uncertainty over the state president's post and the chief ministerial face could directly affect Congress workers and voters as the party prepares for the polls. Questions & Answers 1. Who attended the meeting at K C Venugopal's residence in Delhi? Punjab's Leader of Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa and Punjab Congress in-charge Bhupesh Baghel attended the meeting. 2. What did Bhupesh Baghel hand over to Venugopal? Bhupesh Baghel handed over his report on the current situation of the Punjab Congress to K C Venugopal. 3. What did Bhupesh Baghel say about changing the state president? He said that changing the president is not a game of dolls. 4. Will Raja Warring be removed as state president? According to sources, this will not happen for now, as 25 of 29 district presidents, four MPs and eight to nine MLAs still back Warring. 5. What are the Channi camp's three demands? Removing Warring as state president, declaring Charanjit Channi the CM face, and giving weight to Channi's opinion in candidate selection. 6. When is the next Punjab assembly election due? The current assembly's term runs until March 2027, though the Election Commission has not yet announced exact polling dates. https://trendkia.com/en/politics/punjab-kangresa-ki-khinchatana-sulajhane-delhi-pahunche-bhupesh-baghel-venugopal-ko-saunpi-riporta-7835 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.