Chandigarh: Bhupesh Baghel, the AICC general secretary and in charge for Punjab, met the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Delhi on Monday.
During the meeting, issues relating to the continuing differences within the Punjab Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s proposed bus journey in the poll-bound state were discussed. The trio also discussed possible ways of addressing the differences within the state unit.
Baghel, however, did not disclose details of the discussions on organisational issues after the meeting.
The meeting comes amid continuing differences within the Punjab Congress, particularly between a group of leaders associated with the former chief minister and Congress MP, Charanjit Singh Channi, and the camp led by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.
The Channi camp has been pressing for the removal of Warring from the post of president.
Last week, Baghel ruled out any change in the state unit’s existing organisational structure and said the focus would be on expanding the announced committees and bringing more functionaries into the party’s election preparations.
“There will be no changes now. Only expansion will take place,” Baghel had said, indicating that the existing committees would be enlarged by adding more members, and that new committees could also be constituted as part of the party’s organisational preparations.
After Monday’s meeting, Baghel said the expansion of the committees would take place shortly. However, he did not give details of the discussions on internal issues in Punjab. He said the primary focus of the meeting was Rahul Gandhi’s proposed bus journey in Punjab and related preparations.
“I met both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. The main topic was the bus journey planned for Punjab. I wanted to seek permission for the tour, specifically regarding the journey Rahul Gandhi is to undertake. They granted me time and asked me to submit a proposal outlining the schedule for the week, after which they will finalise the timing,” Baghel said.
The former Chhattisgarh chief minister indicated that the proposed programme would not take place this week. He also hinted at a major tour covering Punjab.
Baghel said a detailed programme would be prepared and shared with the party leadership before the schedule and timing were finalised.
The proposed bus journey is being planned as part of the Congress’s preparations for the 2027 Punjab assembly elections. According to party sources, Rahul Gandhi is likely to begin the programme from Amritsar after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple. The tentative plan is for the first phase to cover the Amritsar-Hussainiwala stretch.
Baghel also indicated that the proposed yatra would involve party functionaries from across Punjab. He said all party representatives would join the yatra, and national leaders would also participate in the programme.
The proposed bus journey is likely to bring senior Punjab Congress functionaries together on a common platform as the party intensifies its preparations for the 2027 elections.
AICC secretary and Punjab co-in charge Suraj Singh Thakur, who was also present at the meeting, said, “This is our family, and within a family, there has always been a good relationship between the younger and elder brothers. There are discussions over certain issues, and that is a matter within our party. We will resolve it by working together with everyone and taking everyone along, as has always been the Congress party’s approach and our principle. We will contest the Punjab elections together with everyone,” he said.
Courtesy : TOI
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