Daijiworld Media Network - Barnala
Barnala, Mar 3: Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s remarks at the MGNREGA Bachao rally in Barnala have triggered political ripples in Punjab, with his call for Congress leaders to function as “team players” drawing sharp reactions from rivals and prompting damage control within the party.
Addressing party workers on Saturday, Gandhi cautioned leaders — including seniors seated on the stage — to “fall in line” or risk being “fixed” by him and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
“One player cannot win a game… be a team player or you will be benched,” Gandhi said, in remarks that quickly went viral through clipped social media videos.
The Bharatiya Janata Party in Punjab shared the video, accusing Gandhi of “insulting and threatening” the state Congress leadership and calling it proof of factionalism within the unit. Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar claimed there was “neither an agenda for Punjab nor any discussion about farmers and labourers” at the rally and described the speech as a public humiliation of a “fragmented leadership”.
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal echoed the criticism, alleging that Gandhi’s visit was aimed at managing internal infighting.
However, Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa sought to downplay the controversy, stating that differences of opinion are natural in every party. He questioned whether leaders in other parties such as the BJP, SAD or AAP function without disagreements, referring to Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Bajwa insisted the Congress was united, noting that the entire state leadership shared the stage at Barnala. Using a cricket analogy, he said Gandhi’s message may have been a reminder that “the party has many good players in reserve.”
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also described the remark as a general message and not directed at any individual. He said the rally witnessed a massive turnout and Gandhi emphasised teamwork to channel that energy effectively.
The rally’s optics added to speculation about internal strains. Supporters of former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi raised slogans in his favour, with loud applause greeting his address. Channi highlighted achievements during his three-month tenure from September 2021 to March 2022, including electricity bill waivers, Rs 17,000 per acre compensation for damaged cotton crops in Malwa, and fuel price reductions.
His prominence at the rally revived memories of the 2022 Assembly elections, when Congress projected him as its CM face but secured only 18 of 117 seats, while AAP won 91. Channi himself lost both constituencies he contested.
Earlier signs of tension had surfaced in January when a video of Channi addressing Congress SC Morcha workers went viral, sparking controversy over representation issues. He later termed the episode “malicious online propaganda.”
The current row comes despite a January advisory from the Congress high command asking Punjab leaders to avoid public statements on internal matters. During earlier MGNREGA Bachao Sangram rallies, AICC Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel had maintained that all senior leaders were effectively CM faces and that final decisions would rest with the central leadership.
A party insider summed up the situation, saying the viral 20-second clip has overshadowed the rally’s original focus on employment guarantee issues, further fuelling the narrative of divisions within the Punjab Congress.