Dismissing reports of a rift within Punjab Congress, party's state unit chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said on Saturday that he is not in the chief ministerial race and he only aims to bring the grand old party back to power following assembly elections slated to be held early next year.
Warring's remarks come a day after supporters of former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi met at his residence in Morinda and demanded that he be made the party's Punjab unit president, expressing clear disappointment over the Congress high command overlooking him for the top post in the state.
Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh, Warring reiterated that the party's state unit remains united and Channi could be the chief minister if Congress returns to power in Punjab in 2027. He said he will support anyone who is made the party's chief ministerial face by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.
"I have just one goal: to bring Congress back to power in the state. I don't dream to be the CM," Warring was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.
"I think Channi sahab or any senior leader did not say anything like that. Action will be taken against any individual who said anything like that. Everyone has the right to express themselves but nobody has the right to be indiscipline," he said when asked about calls to make Channi the Punjab Congress chief.
Congress was in power in Punjab from 2017 to 2022. Till 2021, Captain Amarinder Singh was the chief minister, but he resigned from his position following a prolonged power struggle within the Congress. Later, Channi was appointed to the top post and was sworn in as Punjab's 16th chief minister on September 20, 2021.
However, the grand old party lost power to Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the 2022 assembly polls, and its tally reduced in the 117-member Punjab Assembly to just 18.
Now, Congress is dealing with another crisis in Punjab, with Channi's supporters demanding that he replace Warring as the party's state unit chief and be the chief ministerial face in the 2027 assembly polls. Around 20 sitting and former MLAs are backing the ex-chief minister and feel he is key to galvanising the Congress cadre in the state.
Citing sources, news agency PTI has reported that the Channi faction has given the Congress leadership a week's time to reconsider their decision of retaining Warring as state unit chief. However, Congress top brass has not issued a statement yet.
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