Bhupesh Baghel Submits Report to Congress High Command Amid Punjab Unit Infighting

Congress leader and Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday submitted his report on the ongoing internal discord within the Punjab Congress to AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal. He said any decision regarding the party's leadership would be taken only after careful deliberation and should not be treated as a routine exercise. Baghel, who met Venugopal at his residence, said he completed an extensive six-day consultation process across Punjab before preparing the report. He added that the findings were based on discussions held with party leaders from across the state. Speaking to reporters, Baghel said he met leaders both collectively at the Punjab Congress Committee office and individually. "Based on those discussions, I have submitted my report to KC Venugopal," he said. Amid speculation over a possible change in the state leadership, Baghel clarified that Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has not submitted his resignation. He also dismissed suggestions that the party would take a hasty decision, stating that a leadership change is "not a puppet or doll game," indicating that the Congress high command would make a considered decision only after reviewing feedback from party leaders. Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa also visited Venugopal's residence as the Congress leadership continued consultations over the situation in the state unit. The latest developments come a day after senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met party president Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal to discuss factionalism within the Punjab Congress and the party's strategy going forward. The current consultation process follows Baghel's meetings with Punjab Congress leaders on July 11, during which several senior leaders openly questioned the leadership of Raja Warring. According to the discussions, a majority of the 92 leaders who met Baghel—including sitting and former MLAs—reportedly conveyed that while they had no personal differences with Raja Warring, they did not believe he could lead the Congress back to power in the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. The consultation process included several senior leaders, including former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Aruna Chaudhary, OP Soni, Pargat Singh, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, and Bharat Bhushan Ashu. The Congress high command is expected to examine Baghel's report before taking a final decision on organisational matters in Punjab, where internal factional divisions have intensified ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.