Chandigarh: Charanjit Singh Channi camp on Saturday sent a strong message to the Congress high command, saying the Punjab unit needs “a strong leader, not a weak one,” as the party’s Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel concluded his visit to the state.
The remarks came after Baghel held a nearly two-hour meeting with leaders from the Channi camp in the absence of Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. During the meeting, senior leaders apprised Baghel of the concerns and sentiments of party workers. Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa also attended the discussions.
Addressing the media after the meeting, MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said the Congress could effectively take on the Aam Aadmi Party government over corruption and the deteriorating law-and-order situation, provided the party had decisive leadership.
“We need a leader who speaks firmly. We do not want a weak leader,” Randhawa said, adding that the Punjab in-charge had been informed about the views of party workers. He said the discussions were candid and that political parties sometimes have to revisit their decisions.
Randhawa further claimed that leaders who contested from all 92 Assembly constituencies, along with sitting MLAs, participated in the meeting.
Before leaving Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel said he would convey the feedback received during his meetings to the Congress high command. He also maintained that no Congress leader in Punjab was upset, despite reports of internal differences.
Among those present at the meeting were Charanjit Singh Channi, Rana Gurjit Singh, Aruna Chaudhary, Pargat Singh, Partap Singh Bajwa and Sangat Singh Gilzian.
