Congress leader and LoP Rahul Gandhi is learnt to be reluctant to meet former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Channi amid the deepening factional feud in the Punjab Congress, with sources saying Channi’s request for an appointment has not received any confirmation so far.The development came even as Channi and senior leader Sukhjinder Randhawa held a key meeting with AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala in Delhi on Thursday afternoon, ahead of another round of discussions by the party leadership to address the infighting in the Punjab unit.Despite the continuing dissent, sources said the Congress high command is not inclined to replace Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, signalling that the current leadership will continue ahead of the Assembly election.Later in the day, a meeting of senior Punjab Congress leaders is being held at the party headquarters, Indira Bhawan, under the chairmanship of Congress general secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal. The meeting is being attended by Channi, Randhawa, Rana Gurjeet Singh and Pargat Singh, among others.According to sources, Channi told Venugopal that Warring had failed to keep the party united and warned that retaining him as the state unit chief for the Assembly election could further aggravate the situation. However, sources said that there will be no change in the state leadership, with Warring set to continue as Punjab Congress chief, as the discussion of the Channi camp continues with Venugopal.The dissent against Warring has been led by a section of Punjab Congress leaders, with Channi emerging as one of the prominent voices seeking a change in the state leadership. However, the party’s central leadership has refused to yield to the demand.Sources said Rahul, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab Bhupesh Baghel have conveyed that replacing the state president under pressure would send a wrong political message. The leadership is also understood to be factoring in the existing caste balance within the state unit, with Warring representing the Jat Sikh community and Channi being a prominent Dalit face.The Congress leadership is trying to contain the internal discord as it steps up preparations for the Punjab Assembly election, while maintaining that organisational decisions will not be dictated by factional pressure.