New Delhi, 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 office-bearers, and submitted its report in 10 days, said the leaders cited above. The report - which has not been made public - said the Congress could win the upcoming Punjab assembly polls but might need a change of guard in the state leadership, added the leaders cited above. But on July 1, the party announced its decision to stick with Warring as state unit chief. Neither Maken nor any of the party's spokespersons responded to HT's queries,...