Prateek Tanmay
2 min readChandigarhUpdated: Jul 10, 2026 09:24 PM IST
The tussle over the Punjab Congress leadership intensified on Friday with the former Union Minister Buta Singh’s family saying that party should declare Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi as its chief ministerial candidate ahead of the Assembly polls due early next year.
This comes a day before members of the Channi camp are scheduled to meet party general secretary in charge of Punjab Bhupesh Baghel, who is in the state to meet party leaders in the run up to the state polls.
Late Buta Singh’s son Sarabjot Singh and daughter Gurkirat Kaur called on former chief minister Channi at his residence. Later, both addressed the media in Channi’s presence.
Gurkirat said in the previous elections too her family’s demand was that the CM candidate should be from the Dalit community.
“Even now we want to request Rahul Gandhi ji and the Congress that we want to see Charanjit Channi as the chief minister. The next year’s elections should be fought under his leadership,” she said.
She added that her family is providing Channi “full” support. “It is ours and our community’s feeling that we are sharing with you,” she said.
Sarabjot Singh said, “We came to meet Channi ji and encourage him. If there is any future of Punjab, that is with Channi. There is great enthusiasm for Channi among people. We wish him good luck and we are with him. Whatever duty he assigns, our community is standing behind him like a strong pillar and we will ensure his grand victory”.
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Buta Singh, considered a Congress stalwart, served as the country’s home minister and was one of the tallest Dalit leaders from Punjab.
Channi is said to be unhappy over not being appointed the state party president, with the high command reposing faith in Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. Baghel’s five-day trip to the state was to end Friday. He has now extended it by three days.
