Congress CWC meeting, Punjab leaders attend
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has called an important meeting with Punjab Congress leaders and Congress Working Committee (CWC) members in Delhi on Friday to discuss organizational changes and the way forward for the state unit ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi is expected to attend the meeting. This meeting comes after former Congress leader Kewal Singh Dhillon was appointed president of the Punjab unit, replacing BJP’s Sunil Jakhar.
Party sources said the discussions will focus on strengthening the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) and resolving internal dynamics to ensure unity ahead of the elections.
The Punjab meeting comes after the Congress high command’s recent interventions in southern states, including leadership changes in Karnataka, changes in Kerala, and alliance changes in Tamil Nadu. Party insiders view these moves as a sign of Rahul Gandhi’s changing approach to managing factional units.
The decision to convene the meeting follows several rounds of discussions with senior Punjab leaders since January. PPCC Chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of the Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa, and former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi have held one-on-one meetings with Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and AICC General Secretary (Organization) KC Venugopal.
Other senior leaders, including Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Vijay Inder Singla, Rana KP Singh, Pargat Singh, and Dr. Amar Singh, have also been part of the process.
A senior party leader said the high command now has a clear idea of the issues that need to be addressed so that the party can function as a unit before the 2027 elections. This feedback was gathered through popularity surveys and direct conversations.
Although KC Venugopal has repeatedly ruled out any immediate changes in the state leadership, sources said the party’s aim is to strike a balance between different power centers. Senior leaders are likely to be included in key bodies such as the Manifesto Committee, Campaign Committee, and Election Committee. A party insider said, “The elections will be fought without projecting a chief ministerial candidate. The aim is to bring all leaders on one platform,” adding that the high command is wary of attempts by the BJP to poach leaders.
The timing of the CWC meeting has drawn attention as it coincides with the BJP’s decision to replace Sunil Jakhar, a prominent leader from the Hindu Jat community, with Jat Sikh leader Kewal Singh Dhillon.
Congress leaders described the BJP’s move as part of its caste-based political strategy. Party leaders said, “The BJP has been practicing caste-based politics. Wooing the OBC, Mazhabi and Ravidassia communities, and now upper-caste Sikhs, has been the saffron party’s electoral strategy.”
