As the newly-appointed Punjab Congress chief Pargat Singh officially takes over his new assignment at Punjab Congress Bhavan this week, former CM Charanjit Singh Channi, while welcoming the appointment, is adopting a politically cautious and measured approach.In a tweet, the Jalandhar MP backed the Congress high command’s decision, indicating that he does not want a fresh bout of confrontation with the party leadership. However, the appointment has reportedly disappointed sections of the Channi camp, who were hoping for a state Congress chief more closely aligned with their group.Party insiders said during the deliberations held over the last two days, the leaders in the Channi camp were keen on tweaking the PPCC body to accommodate one of the senior Hindu leaders as a working president. At present, Sangat Singh Gilzian, an OBC leader, Sukhwinder Singh Danny and Raj Kumar Verka — both Dalit leaders, are working presidents. The Channi camp also wanted its interests to be watched while finalising tickets in the screening committee, said sources.By appointing Pargat Singh, who has his own political standing and a distinct identity, the Congress high command, while acceding to the demand for change of the Punjab affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel and PPCC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, has created a leadership arrangement that was not dominated by any single faction. Channi and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa were keen on becoming the PPCC chief, but the top leadership has indicated that it will not buckle under pressure.A senior leader said though Warring has been removed following a report by Punjab affairs in-charge Sachin Pilot, the former PPCC chief cannot be totally ignored. Over the last four-and-a-half years, Warring has appointed office-bearers to various positions. His demand for certain tickets at the time of candidate selection cannot be ruled out in light of his recent meeting with party leader Rahul Gandhi.After intense infighting between the Warring and Channi camps, which led to Baghel and Warring’s exit, the high command is closely watching Channi’s response and actions, as he remains an important face of the Congress in Punjab.Pargat Singh has already announced plans to bring together different factions and rebuild the party’s organisational strength. His ability to maintain a working relationship with Channi and other influential Congress leaders will be critical to preventing further factionalism.Channi, who heads the Campaign Committee, is planning a cycle yatra after Pargat Singh lands in Chandigarh this week. Though Channi did not respond to calls, leaders in his camp said efforts were being made to work out an adjustment between the two leaders. “The immediate political challenge for Channi was to maintain a cooperative public posture while protecting his influence within the state unit and protecting political aspirations,” said a senior party leader.