The power struggle within the Punjab Congress intensified on Friday as the family of former Union Home Minister and senior Congress stalwart Buta Singh rallied behind former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.Buta Singh’s son, Sarabjot Singh, accompanied by his wife Devyani Singh and sister Gurkirat Kaur, visited Channi’s residence in Morinda and demanded that he be declared the Congress’s chief ministerial candidate for the forthcoming Assembly elections.Channi also claimed that he had the support of the son of former President of India Giani Zail Singh.Members of Buta Singh’s family stopped short of issuing any statement against Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, saying they had already filed a case against him in court over his alleged racial remarks against Buta Singh and did not wish to comment further. The case relates to remarks allegedly made by Raja Warring during the recent Khadoor Sahib Assembly by-election campaign.Addressing the media after the meeting, Sarabjot Singh said the family had come to express its solidarity with and support for Channi, while urging the Congress to nominate him as its chief ministerial candidate.The visit assumes political significance as it comes at a time when the Punjab Congress is witnessing growing factionalism ahead of the Assembly elections. Channi has emerged as the focal point for a section of party leaders and workers dissatisfied with the current state leadership. Over the past several days, his Morinda residence has hosted a series of political meetings involving Congress leaders and supporters, reflecting growing unrest within the organisation.The latest show of support from Buta Singh’s family is being viewed by political observers as another setback for the state leadership, particularly in the wake of the controversy surrounding Raja Warring’s remarks about the late Congress veteran during campaigning for the Khadoor Sahib Assembly by-election. Buta Singh, one of the Congress’s tallest Dalit leaders, served as Union Home Minister, Governor of Bihar and chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes during his long political career.The controversy over Raja Warring’s remarks has already triggered political and legal repercussions, with members of Buta Singh’s family seeking action against the PPCC chief and alleging that his comments amounted to an insult to both the late leader and the Scheduled Caste community.Speaking on the occasion, Channi expressed solidarity with Buta Singh’s family and reiterated that leaders who had devoted their lives to strengthening the Congress deserved respect. He said the party could overcome its present crisis only through unity, discipline and respect for its senior leaders.The meeting has added another dimension to the internal crisis engulfing the Punjab Congress. While the party high command has so far retained Raja Warring as PPCC president, repeated demonstrations of support for Channi by party workers, former legislators and influential Congress families suggest that the leadership issue is unlikely to subside anytime soon.With the Assembly elections drawing closer, the deepening divisions within the Punjab Congress are increasingly posing a political challenge, raising questions over the party’s ability to present a united front against its rivals.