Congress Gears Up For Punjab Elections: Factionalism Halted,

Amidst the factionalism among Congress members in Punjab, the party has begun preparations for the state elections from New Delhi. Voices of dissent have been silenced, and a calm has currently settled over the episode of rebellion within the party ranks. Reports from Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel and AICC General Secretary (Organization) K.C. Venugopal compiled after consulting leaders from both factions are now before Rahul Gandhi.

High Command’s Stern Message To Leaders

Party sources indicate that the High Command has issued a stern directive to senior leaders to end rebellion and internal infighting and focus on election preparations. The current organizational structure will remain unchanged; the team of leaders will proceed with election preparations based on the appointments already made by the High Command. Neither the state party president will be replaced, nor will a Chief Ministerial face be declared; the Punjab election will be contested with Rahul Gandhi as the face of the campaign.

In line with this, Baghel and Venugopal summoned senior Punjab leaders including former CM Charanjit Singh Channi, MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Dr. Amar Singh, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, and Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa to Delhi on Wednesday to discuss election preparations.

Speaking after the meeting in Delhi, Punjab Congress in-charge Bhupesh Baghel stated that the first meeting of the various committees constituted for election preparations had been convened. During the meeting, General Secretary (Organization) K.C. Venugopal provided crucial guidance regarding the preparations. It was decided to formally launch the party’s election campaign for the Punjab Assembly elections.

“We will seek time from the Congress High Command for this. Specifically, we aim to secure appointments with Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi to launch the campaign under their leadership,” Baghel said.

He added that the effort is to launch the campaign this month rather than next month; however, the schedule will be finalized keeping in mind Rahul Gandhi’s commitments, given that the Parliament session is currently underway. The blueprint for the campaign will be finalized soon, based on the availability of both Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. The election campaign in Punjab will be launched in accordance with their schedules.

Discussion On Factionalism

Party sources indicated that the ongoing factionalism and discontent within the Punjab Congress were also discussed during the meeting. Although the leaders did not publicly mention any specific disputes, sources stated that the high command conveyed a clear message: keeping the organization united—by setting aside personal differences is the top priority ahead of the assembly elections. All leaders were advised to refrain from making public statements and to voice their views only within party forums. For now, the primary focus will remain on strengthening the organization and preparing for the elections.