In a major display of unity despite prolonged factionalism within the Punjab Congress, rival camps are set to share the stage on September 15, when the party holds a protest march in Chandigarh against the AAP government over the alleged suicide of a Sangrur resident.

Rebel camp leaders Charanjit Singh Channi, former chief minister and MP, and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, former deputy CM and MP, have publicly announced their participation in the protest led by Sachin Pilot, the newly appointed AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab.

Led by Pilot, the Congress march will head to the official residence of Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, demanding his removal and an independent, time-bound investigation into the events leading to the Dalit man’s alleged suicide.

Pilot announced a protest after a Dalit man, who had asked Cheema about the drug problem, reportedly died by consuming poison

The protest is also being seen as an early test of Pilot’s efforts to bring the warring factions together ahead of the 2027 assembly polls.

Both Channi and Randhawa have confirmed they will join the protest, with Randhawa assuring Pilot that he and his supporters will participate in the march.

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Confirming his participation, Channi announced that the Punjab Congress will hold a protest march led by Pilot on September 15. The party plans to demand Cheema’s immediate arrest and removal from the state cabinet regarding his alleged connection to the reported suicide. “I appeal to Congress workers to participate in the protest in large numbers,” he added.

“Pilot is in-charge of Punjab Congress and he has spoken to me. As he is leading the protest, I have assured him that I will join along with workers. It will be a massive protest,” Randhawa said.

Drawing a parallel with the reported suicide of Punjab State Warehousing Corporation official in March, he said that while the AAP government targeted then minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, they have failed to take action against Cheema.

The significance of the September 15 protest lies in the fact that the Channi and Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring camps have largely appeared on separate platforms in recent months. This division was clear at the August 15 Issru conference, where Channi and Randhawa shared the stage, and Randhawa openly challenged the “one family, one ticket” formula by Warring, who was absent from the event.

The divisions were again visible at the August 28 Rakhar Punia conference at Baba Bakala, where the Channi camp took charge of the event while Warring and his supporters stayed away.

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Pilot, who was recently appointed Punjab Congress in-charge replacing Bhupesh Baghel, has stressed that all stakeholders would have a role in the party and has ruled out projecting a chief ministerial face before the 2027 polls.

Warring said the Congress is prepared to challenge the government over its “public repression, which led to the Dalit man’s suicide” and a massive protest will be held on September 15.

Vishal Rambani is Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, covering Punjab's political, governance and public policy landscape. With more than two decades of journalistic experience, he has extensively reported on politics, power and energy, crime, bureaucracy, environment, urban development and socio-economic issues. His reporting combines ground-level coverage with data-driven and investigative journalism, producing impactful stories on governance, regulatory affairs, corruption, public finance, elections and infrastructure. Over the years, he has broken several exclusive stories involving enforcement agencies, the power sector, real estate, and state administration, earning recognition for incisive reporting, accuracy and in-depth analysis of Punjab's evolving political and administrative landscape.Read More