Jalandhar: Factionalism has long been a feature of the Punjab Congress, with almost every camp revolving around a prominent leader. But over the past five years, a different pattern has emerged: what has held rival leaders together is not loyalty to one individual but opposition to another. Once the common target is removed, the alliance invariably falls apart.That was evident during the revolt against then chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh. Leaders from different factions united to force his exit despite having little in common politically. Once Amarinder was removed, the alliance quickly unravelled, with the same leaders competing for influence. Charanjit Singh Channi emerged as the biggest beneficiary, becoming chief minister despite not being an obvious contender. Yet the Congress remained divided after Amarinder’s departure.A similar pattern played out in late 2023 when Navjot Singh Sidhu launched his ‘Jittega Punjab’ campaign, triggering a public confrontation with Congress Legislature Party leader Partap Singh Bajwa. Bajwa objected to Sidhu holding separate public meetings, while Sidhu hit back through social media. Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Bajwa and Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring repeatedly stressed the need for party discipline, with several senior leaders closing ranks against Sidhu.The impression was that Sidhu’s activism was the principal source of indiscipline. But even after he withdrew from active state politics and returned to cricket commentary, the Congress failed to function as a cohesive organisation.The same trend is visible now. Many leaders have rallied around former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, but insiders say the common thread is less support for Channi than opposition to Warring. While some believe Channi is best placed to lead the party into the 2027 assembly elections, others are united by a single objective: replacing the current Punjab Congress chief.
