Punjab Congress leadership race sharpens amid AAP’s welfare push

Even as the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rolls out welfare schemes to consolidate its bid for a second term, the Congress in Punjab is grappling with intensifying internal jockeying over leadership ambitions. The fault lines have become more visible as several senior leaders position themselves as potential chief ministerial faces.

Punjab Congress president and Ludhiana MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has emerged as a frontrunner. However, he faces an unexpected challenge from former CM and prominent Dalit leader Charanjit Singh Channi. Adding a third axis to the power play is Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa. The rivalry came into sharp focus during the 2025 by-election to the Ludhiana West Assembly constituency. Despite the seat having a significant SC population, Channi stayed largely away from the campaign. A senior party functionary told ET that Ludhiana West is widely regarded as Warring's home turf and that the visible lack of coordination hurt the party.

The latest flashpoint is Channi's renewed push for greater representation of Dalits within the Congress. Scheduled Castes account for around 32% of Punjab's population.