Kathmandu— Amid ongoing leadership disputes within the Punjab Congress ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, supporters of former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi disrupted a public meeting in Bathinda by raising slogans and demanding that he be declared the party's chief ministerial face. The incident occurred as Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring was addressing the gathering.

Leadership Dispute Erupts at Public Meeting

During a public meeting in Bathinda, supporters of Charanjit Singh Channi disrupted proceedings by chanting slogans and demanding that he be recognized as the party's chief ministerial candidate for the 2027 Assembly elections. The commotion escalated when some attendees lifted chairs, prompting Raja Warring to invite one of the vocal supporters onto the stage and offer to connect him directly with Channi via phone.

Congress MLAs Protest Paper Leaks

Earlier in the day, Congress legislators led by Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa staged a protest outside the Punjab Assembly, accusing the ruling AAP government of repeated examination paper leaks and demanding the resignation of Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains. Bajwa alleged that six major exam paper leaks had occurred over the past four-and-a-half years, affecting around 350,000 students.

Sanitation Workers' Strike Draws Attention

Congress MLA Sandeep Jakhar highlighted the ongoing sanitation workers’ strike and its impact on public hygiene. He stated that garbage had piled up across cities for three weeks due to the protest, with sewerage systems backing up as a result. Jakhar expressed hope that these issues would be addressed during the monsoon session of the Punjab Assembly.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.