India, July 17 -- An internal Congress panel report had backed a change in the party's leadership in poll-bound Punjab after talking to current and former legislators and other leaders, many of whom favoured former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, but the high command chose to stick to current state unit chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, HT has learnt.

At least three party insiders confirmed the findings of the panel - comprising Ajay Maken, Meenakshi Natarajan and Bhajan Lal Jatav - that was set up on June 11 with the objective of getting a "report on the current political scenario in Punjab".

The committee spoke to a cross-section of leaders, including legislators, former legislators, district members and other officebearers, ...