Amid ongoing infighting in the Punjab Congress, former state chief minister Charanjit Channi and former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Randhawa met party leaders on Thursday. The two leaders said they will follow the party high command's decision.
Channi and Randhawa meet Venugopal to discuss Punjab Congress crisis
According to The Tribune, the two leaders are part of a faction that is challenging the party's decision to retain Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as the Punjab unit chief. They met AICC general secretary, Organisation, KC Venugopal for talks.
Channi and Randhawa also paid a courtesy visit to party general secretary Randeep Surjewala. They said they share a personal relationship with him.
Channi's meeting with Rahul Gandhi could not take place
As per ThePrint, Channi's meeting with Rahul Gandhi could not happen on Thursday. The two leaders have raised a banner of revolt against Warring, who has been asked by the high command to continue as party chief.
"Will abide by high command decision, Rahul their leader." — ThePrint
Our Take: A step toward unity or just a pause?
Channi and Randhawa's decision to meet Venugopal and publicly state they will follow the high command's decision is a positive sign. It shows that despite their differences with the party leadership, they are willing to work within the party system. However, the fact that their revolt against Raja Warring continues means the internal conflict is far from over. The Congress high command now needs to address the concerns of all factions to ensure the party remains united ahead of future elections. In our view, this meeting is a temporary truce, not a permanent solution.
