Pressure won't work, firm on Punjab Congress decision: AICC

New Delhi: AICC on Wednesday tried to strike a posture of being determined to go ahead with its decision to retain Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as the PCC president of poll-bound Punjab and said pressure tactics won't work with the high command. At the same time, AICC has also kept channels open for talks with senior leaders Charanjit Singh Channi and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa who, among others, are opposing the status quo in the state party leadership and didn't attend the meetings of the Punjab party leaders convened by AICC in-charge Bhupesh Baghel in Chandigarh.

"Everyone at the meeting unanimously welcomed the high command's decisions and expressed their gratitude. Raja Warring has been reappointed president, and three working presidents have been appointed. We congratulated them and members of other committees. We are now preparing for elections," Baghel told journalists. Asked about opposition to the decision of the brass, he said, "No pressure tactics work on the party high command. I do not believe that decisions are made under pressure, nor should they be. Therefore, the decisions that have already been taken will remain in effect".

However, Baghel said when he had spoken with Channi and Randhawa, they informed him about their inability to attend the meeting due to preoccupations. "Either I might visit their homes for tea or they might come to the PCC office," he said.