Chandigarh, May 30 -- The Congress' poor performance in the Punjab civic polls has triggered fresh infighting within the state unit, exposing sharp factional divisions during a high-level meeting of Punjab Congress leaders with the party high command in Delhi on Friday. The situation took a dramatic turn when leader of opposition in the Punjab assembly Partap Singh Bajwa walked out of the meeting midway after separately conveying his views to the central leadership. The meeting was convened to discuss strengthening the party organisation and chalk out a strategy for the 2027 Punjab assembly elections. It was attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Punjab affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Bajwa, senior leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa among others. According to party insiders, the meeting witnessed heated exchanges between rival factions over the party's disappointing performance in the recent municipal elections. Several leaders said the party failed to perform even in traditional strongholds. Before the joint meeting, Rahul Gandhi held one-on-one interactions with key Punjab leaders to assess the internal situation in the state unit. Party insiders said many leaders demanded a change in the state unit leadership. However, Rahul is learnt to have asked the dissenting leaders to explain how they could improve the party's prospects. Soon after his interaction with Gandhi, Bajwa left the venue and did not participate in the subsequent strategy discussions. He reportedly told party functionaries that he had already apprised the high command of his views. One of the leaders who attended the meeting said that not only Bajwa, but several other leaders also demanded organisational changes within the Punjab Congress. Some leaders are also learnt to have raised the issue of replacing Bajwa as the leader of opposition in the assembly. The "anti-Warring" camp reportedly blamed the poor civic poll results on weak organisational leadership and sought immediate corrective measures. Despite the criticism, the Congress high command ruled out any immediate reshuffle in the Punjab unit. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Baghel said the party's stand remained unchanged from the position articulated by Congress general secretary KC Venugopal four months ago, when he had categorically ruled out any change in the Punjab Congress leadership. The central leadership felt that replacing the state leadership at a time when the assembly elections are drawing closer could further weaken the party. Instead, the leadership advised Punjab Congress leaders to set aside internal rivalries and work collectively to strengthen the organisation ahead of the 2027 polls. The meeting gained political significance as it came shortly after the BJP replaced Sunil Jakhar with former Congress leader Kewal Singh Dhillon as the new Punjab BJP president, intensifying political activity in the state ahead of the assembly elections. While no senior Congress leader officially commented on the details of the closed-door discussions, party insiders said the high command instructed functionaries not to air internal differences publicly and instead focus on rebuilding the Congress in Punjab....