Former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi put up a show of strength by organising a mega meeting of party workers today at his residence in Morinda, Chamkaur Sahib. Among the legislators who attended were at least two sitting MLAs from Doaba, along with several other senior leaders.
Rana Gurjeet Singh and Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia were among those present, while prominent absentees included Pargat Singh and Sukhpal Khaira. Channi convened the large gathering in response to the recently released list of Congress office-bearers, amid growing discontent among party workers over recent appointments ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Other Doaba leaders present at the meeting included former Nawanshahr MLA Angad Saini, former Jalandhar district urban president Rajinder Beri, Nakodar halqa in-charge Navjot Dahia, and Kartarpur halqa in-charge Rajinder Singh, among others.
Among those who skipped the meeting were Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh, Bholath MLA Sukhpal Khaira, Jalandhar North MLA Bawa Henry, Adampur MLA Sukhwinder Kotli, and Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary. Most of the absentees remained tight-lipped.
A senior Jalandhar leader, who did not attend the meeting, said on condition of anonymity, “I don’t have anything to say on the meeting. Only those who attended can say what they had in mind. They may have misgivings which they aired at a platform they deemed fit. These things could have been shared on the party’s internal platforms.”
Another Congress MLA said, “Ultimately, the list released by the party high command has undoubtedly sparked discontent. Many have a problem with the list. Party leaders and workers expected a change in the party president’s name. The rest are contributing factors.”
Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary said, “I was out playing golf all day. I have no interest in the meeting. The party has chosen some leaders after due diligence. When everyone came to a consensus, the party list was announced. I believe it’s time we abide by the party line and prepare for the elections.”
Shahkot MLA Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia said, “Some people are giving negative connotations to the meeting. It was just a meeting of leaders who have been raising various issues with Channi Sahib as campaign committee head for the past few days. Today he gave them time on a common platform so these issues could be aired at the high command level by him. It was an initiative aimed at dissolving ifs and buts and devising a joint strategy to fight the elections strongly. Channi Sahib has listened to us and he will speak to the high command. So, under him we must resolve all our issues.”
Congress leaders in Jalandhar believe that since Channi is already an MP and the party has made it clear that MPs will not contest Assembly polls, he should be content with his role as chairman of the campaign committee, which is itself a significant responsibility.
They also argue that, as Channi is under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate and the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, the party must factor in all such considerations before assigning him a larger role. MLAs are also reportedly unhappy with the limited involvement of the MP in deciding the allocation of funds under MPLADS grants.
