States » NorthPosted at: Oct 2 2026 9:41PM


Pargat Singh Appointed Punjab Congress Chief as Warring Steps Down, Points to Pilot’s Role in Exit

Chandigarh, Oct 2 (UNI) The Congress on Friday appointed Jalandhar Cantonment MLA and former Indian hockey captain Pargat Singh as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), bringing the curtains down on Amrinder Singh Raja Warring’s nearly four-and-a-half-year tenure amid months of factional tensions in the state unit.
The appointment, which takes effect immediately, was announced by AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal. The party said the working presidents and the chairpersons and co-chairpersons of various election-related committees in Punjab would continue in their positions as before.
The leadership change came hours after Warring, the Lok Sabha MP from Ludhiana, met senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi and formally submitted his resignation.
“I formally submitted my resignation. We discussed the situation in Punjab and what needs to be done. I also shared my experience of the last four-and-a-half years as president,” Warring told reporters after meeting Gandhi.
Warring said he briefed Gandhi on areas where the Congress faced challenges in Punjab, the party’s strengths and how it could prepare itself for the political battles ahead.
Reflecting on his exit, Warring said reaching the top of an organisation was an achievement, but nobody could remain in a position forever.
“Reaching the top is an achievement, but nobody can remain at the top permanently. Everyone has to become an ex someday,” Warring said, adding that he was grateful to the Congress leadership for allowing a party worker like him to head the Punjab unit for about four-and-a-half years.
“I told Rahul Gandhi that whatever he considers appropriate in the future, wherever I am needed, I will stand with the party,” he said.
“Nobody asked me for my resignation. I submitted it myself,” was his response to a question whether he was asked to step down.
However, Warring made significant remarks about AICC General Secretary Sachin Pilot, who was appointed in-charge of Punjab on September 5, indicating that he believed Pilot may have favoured his replacement.
“I am not sure, but perhaps Sachin Pilot felt that Raja should be removed,” Warring said, while acknowledging that he did not have concrete information to establish that Pilot had sought his removal.
Warring said his interactions with Pilot had been limited. According to him, he had met Pilot briefly in Delhi and later spent around two hours with him during a protest in Chandigarh.
His remarks came against the backdrop of prolonged factional tensions within the Punjab Congress, where a section of senior leaders had expressed reservations over continuing under Warring’s leadership. Former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and several other senior leaders had emerged as important voices in the internal debate over the state organisation.
The differences became increasingly visible in recent months, with senior leaders holding consultations with the central leadership over the organisational structure ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Reports had said Pilot held discussions with various sections of the state organisation after taking over as Punjab in-charge and subsequently conveyed the feedback to the Congress high command.
Warring had already fuelled speculation about his exit on Thursday when he changed his social media profile to describe himself as a former Punjab Congress president, even before the party had formally announced his successor.
Several names had been discussed for the PPCC post, including former Sangrur MP Vijay Inder Singla, Pargat Singh, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and other senior leaders.
Olympian Pargat Singh's elevation places him at the helm of the state Congress at a politically crucial stage, with the party preparing for the 2027 Assembly elections.
The immediate challenge before the new PPCC chief will be to manage the competing groups within the state organisation and coordinate with senior leaders as the Congress prepares to challenge the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and other political rivals in Punjab.
The change also marks one of the first major organisational decisions in Punjab after Pilot was given charge of the state. His appointment as Punjab in-charge on September 5 had come amid continuing efforts by the Congress central leadership to address differences within its state unit.
UNI NB
Tags: #Pargat Singh Appointed Punjab Congress Chief as Warring Steps Down# Points to Pilot’s Role in Exit
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