With elections just over two years away, the Congress in Punjab has started turning the wheels, with steps being taken to keep the flock together and united. In one such reconciliatory step, state party chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring Thursday paid a visit to Jalandhar MLA Pargat Singh’s house.Warring’s visit took place on the sidelines of a Samvidhan Bachao rally, which was held in Pargat’s constituency. The development comes on the heels of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee’s (PPCC) Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting at the party headquarters in New Delhi on August 25 where issues pertaining to “an indifferent state leadership” were raised by Pargat Singh.Speaking to The Indian Express, Pargat Singh said everyone in the party had only one aim, which was to put up a united front for the 2027 Assembly polls. “It was a courtesy visit since he had been present at the rally. We shared some notes on the situation in Punjab at present with regard to AAP’s failures in governance,” said Pargat Singh.Warring too said that there is complete unanimity among the party leaders “that first and foremost priority is to ensure the return of Congress” to power in Punjab. “People desperately want to get rid of the AAP government. The Akalis are in a complete disarray, while the BJP is yet to find its feet in Punjab. Congress is the only hope and option for the people of Punjab and we will definitely come up to the expectations of Punjabis,” he said.It has been learnt that the party’s central leadership has emphasised the need to put an end to the bitter war of words, which often breaks out between various Congress leaders in Punjab every few days. “Delhi has told the Punjab leadership to strategize for the 2027 polls, and strengthen the organizational framework,” said a senior leader who did not want to be named..Speaking to media persons after the rally, Warring said that there was no infighting in the Congress in Punjab and the entire leadership including MP and former CM Charanjit Singh Channi, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and others were unanimous in their resolve to ensure that the Congress wins 2027 polls irrespective of who becomes the CM. He said the selection of the CM is the discretion of the high command.The Punjab unit of Congress has been grappling with internal rifts ever since it was ousted from power in 2022 polls, where it secured only 18 out of 117 seats. The factionalism, which intensified in 2021 following the crisis involving Captain Amarinder Singh’s removal and Navjot Singh Sidhu’s rebellion, has persisted through subsequent years.Story continues below this adThe appointment of Warring as PPCC president in April 2022 was aimed to stabilize the unit, but rival factions led by him and Bajwa on one side, and dissenters like Rana Gurjeet Singh, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, and Sukhpal Singh Khaira on the other, have continued to clash. The party’s performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections (seven out of 13 seats) provided some momentum, but recent setbacks, such as the Ludhiana West bypoll loss in July, attributed to poor coordination and infighting, necessitated urgent course correction.The AICC has sought to mediate between factions to prevent further public spats and ensure unity. AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel has emphasized the need to avoid repeat of the Ludhiana West bypoll debacle, where Ashu’s defeat was partly blamed on inadequate support from Warring’s camp.Baghel has urged the leaders to prioritize collective action against AAP’s governance failures, such as farmer distress, law and order issues, and corruption allegations, over internal blame games. He said the party should build upon the 2024 Lok Sabha gains.Despite some murmurs of replacing Warring as state Congress chief, the high command has signaled continued support for him. Suggestions for a “middle path,” such as appointing a senior leader like Channi, Bajwa or Randhawa as campaign committee chair for 2027, have been discussed on and off but not finalized.Story continues below this adThe 2027 polls are critical for Congress. Continued infighting could dilute its campaign against AAP’s welfare-driven narrative and BJP’s Hindutva outreach, especially in urban areas. The central leadership’s reluctance to overhaul leadership reflects a strategy to avoid further destabilization, but it risks alienating dissenters.Party insiders say Baghel is likely to hold additional one-on-one sessions, as was done in July, to address dissenters’ grievances. A restructuring of the PPCC, potentially with new district presidents by end of September, could placate factions.