Rift in Cong resurfaces as PPCC rejects re-induction of 2 leaders

The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) has disapproved the re-induction of two leaders, who had joined the party ahead of the Ludhiana Assembly bypoll, much to the chagrin of state party president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.

The move has come amid growing fissures in the state Congress following the bypoll debacle, with a section of leaders pitching for a leadership change due to growing difference with Warring and those siding with him.

The PPCC — the highest decision-making body of the party in the state — is headed by Warring due to being the state party chief.

Warring told The Tribune that the two leaders “were not even primary members of the party”. He had earlier objected to the re-induction of Kamaljit Singh Karwal from Atam Nagar and Karan Warring from Dakha as both leaders had “campaigned against him” in the 2024 General Election, which the state party president had contested from Ludhiana and won.

The issue had brought to the fore the rift in the party in the run-up to the bypoll as Kapurthala legislator Rana Gurjeet Singh, a bete noire of Warring, was held responsible for their induction.

Former CM Charanjit Singh Channi, who is also a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), had backed the move. The CWC is the highest decision-making body of the Congress.

A senior state party leader said “proper procedure wasn’t followed” while making the two leaders rejoin the party. The leader said it was done without the consent of All-India Congress Committee general secretary incharge for Punjab Bhupesh Baghel and the PPCC chief.

Though the PPCC order rejecting the inductions has not been made public, a source said the decision was a message to the leaders, who had campaigned for party candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu in the bypoll while keeping Warring and other party leaders at bay.

The campaign was spearheaded by Channi, Rana Gurjeet, Pargat Singh and Kushaldeep Dhillon, all considered rivals of Warring and Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa.

Earlier, rival factions in the party had submitted separate reports to Baghel over the bypoll loss, following which state working president Ashu and vice-presidents Pargat Singh and Dhillon had resigned from their positions.

Now, the central leadership of the party has decided to give one-on-one hearing to Punjab leaders to stem factionalism.

According to a sources, a faction of state party leaders in seeking a “genuine on ground survey” to gauge the popularity of Hindu, Dalit and Jat faces.

Punjab