The Congress is facing renewed internal turbulence across several state units as it prepares for upcoming Assembly elections, with factional disputes, leadership disagreements and allegations over organisational processes creating fresh challenges for the party.
The latest unrest has emerged in election-bound Punjab and Goa, while Bihar, where the party suffered a major defeat in the 2025 Assembly elections, has also witnessed dissent among senior leaders. The developments have raised questions within party circles over organisational decisions and the effectiveness of the leadership’s strategy ahead of crucial electoral battles.
In Punjab, tensions have intensified following recent organisational appointments, particularly the decision to retain Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as the state Congress chief. The move has faced opposition from former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and several senior leaders who believe a leadership change is necessary before the Assembly elections.
Channi and members of his camp skipped meetings with Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel for five consecutive days, increasing pressure on the central leadership. The group had earlier issued a one-week ultimatum demanding a review of the decision but later agreed to meet Baghel.
The dispute comes months before the Assembly polls and has revived factional divisions that became more visible after the party’s performance in recent local body elections. Leaders associated with the Channi camp have questioned Warring’s leadership by pointing to poor electoral outcomes in areas considered his strongholds.
Baghel, however, rejected demands for a leadership change, saying the party was not treating organisational decisions as a “gudda gudia ka khel” or child’s game. Despite this, dissenting leaders are expected to continue pushing for a review of the appointment, arguing that leadership changes are necessary for improving electoral prospects.
Bihar has become another major centre of internal conflict. A party insider said a meeting held in Patna on July 3, attended by state in-charge Krishna Allavaru, state Congress chief Rajesh Ram, former Congress Legislature Party leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan and other senior leaders, turned confrontational after questions were raised over ticket distribution during the 2025 Assembly elections.
The Congress contested the election as part of an alliance arrangement and was allocated 61 seats. According to party insiders, more than 10 seats saw friendly contests, while allegations were raised that candidates were improperly selected in several constituencies.
Leaders questioned the allocation of seats, including the Bankipur Assembly constituency, which had traditionally been contested by Congress but was given to alliance partner Rashtriya Janata Dal. The RJD fielded Rekha Gupta, who had previously been associated with Congress before joining the alliance partner. In exchange, Congress received the Kumhrar constituency in Patna, where party leaders argued it had limited electoral strength and suffered defeat.
The internal criticism has also extended to the ongoing Sangathan Srijan membership campaign. Shakeel Ahmed Khan reportedly questioned the process, alleging that organisational positions were being linked to membership collections and raising concerns over membership fees being directed to the Indian Youth Congress account rather than the All India Congress Committee account.
According to party insiders, candidates seeking organisational positions are expected to enrol thousands of members with a joining fee, including requirements for prospective state general secretaries and district presidents. The process has triggered allegations among some leaders that organisational posts are being influenced by financial contributions.
Several Congress leaders, including Anand Madhab, former MLA Chhatrapati Yadav, Nagendra Paswan Vikal, Rajkumar Rajan and Wasi Akhtar, later issued a joint statement alleging confusion within the Bihar unit over unofficial claims to party positions.
Speaking to The Sunday Guardian, Madhab said party rules require state office-bearer appointments to be formally issued by the AICC General Secretary (Organisation) after approval from the party president. He alleged that some individuals in Bihar were publicly claiming senior positions without official appointment letters or authorised documents.
Madhab said such developments were damaging morale among long-serving party workers and creating confusion within the organisation. He also alleged that the current functioning of the state unit lacked political direction and was contributing to the party’s decline.
The Bihar unit has also faced criticism over preparations for Rahul Gandhi’s Chhatron Ki Goonj programme in Patna. A party source alleged that inadequate planning led to uncertainty over the venue and arrangements for the event, with possible locations reportedly changing before a final proposal was considered.
In Goa, another organisational dispute has emerged following the appointment of Girish Chodankar as state Congress president, replacing Amit Patkar.
A party source said the appointment divided the state unit, with several leaders expressing dissatisfaction over what they described as a lack of consultation with party workers and office-bearers. Supporters of Patkar also reportedly opposed the decision.
The leadership change triggered resignations from several party functionaries, including general secretary Manisha Usgaonkar, social media chairman Divyakumar, state social media coordinator Shimla Siddiqui and other block-level officials.
The situation reportedly worsened during Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal’s visit to Panaji. Siddiqui, who resigned following Chodankar’s appointment, sought a separate meeting with Venugopal along with other leaders, but the interaction reportedly became heated. The source claimed she later raised concerns before Rahul Gandhi.
Goa Congress Minority Department chairman Wasim Khan was suspended after creating disruption during Venugopal’s programme, following which Nazir A. Khan was appointed as his replacement by Congress Minority Department chief Imran Pratapgarhi.
Chodankar, considered close to Rahul Gandhi, has previously served as Goa Congress chief and resigned multiple times following poor electoral performances and defections from the party. Some leaders believe Amit Patkar had made efforts to rebuild the organisation after Chodankar’s earlier tenure.
With Assembly elections approaching in multiple states, the disputes highlight continuing organisational difficulties for Congress as it attempts to strengthen its state units and regain electoral momentum. The party’s leadership now faces the challenge of resolving internal disagreements while preparing for upcoming electoral contests.
