Pargat Singh named Punjab Congress chief after Raja Warring resigns

Chandigarh: Congress has appointed former Indian hockey captain and Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh as the new president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, hours after Amarinder Singh Raja Warring resigned from the post ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

The Congress on Friday appointed former Indian hockey captain Pargat Singh as the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, replacing Amarinder Singh Raja Warring with immediate effect.

The appointment came shortly after Warring met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi and formally submitted his resignation. Warring had headed the Punjab Congress since April 2022.

In a statement, AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said, “The Congress President has appointed Shri Pargat Singh as the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect.”

The party also said the existing working presidents and chairpersons and co-chairpersons of various election-related committees in Punjab would continue in their positions.

Why did Raja Warring resign?

Warring said nobody had directly asked him to resign and described his decision as voluntary. He said he had assessed the situation within the state unit and decided to step down.

“No one asked me to resign. I realised for some time what the situation was and when I felt the situation had come to such a pass, I voluntarily gave my resignation and changed my social media handles to 'former PCC president',” Warring said.

He also indicated that he believed newly appointed Punjab Congress in-charge Sachin Pilot may have wanted him removed.

“Maybe Sachin Pilot felt that it was not appropriate for me to continue as PCC president. Channi Sahib has won,” Warring said.

The resignation follows months of factional differences within the Punjab Congress. The party had also recently replaced Bhupesh Baghel with Pilot as its AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab. Pilot subsequently held consultations with state leaders and submitted an organisational assessment to the party leadership.

Who is Pargat Singh?

Pargat Singh is a former Indian hockey captain who represented India at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics. He later entered politics, initially with the Shiromani Akali Dal, before joining the Congress.

He has represented the Jalandhar Cantonment constituency as an MLA and has also served as a minister in the Punjab government.

His appointment puts a politician with a sporting background at the head of the state Congress organisation as the party prepares for the next Assembly election.

What did Sachin Pilot say?

Pilot congratulated Pargat Singh after the appointment and said he hoped the party would perform strongly under his leadership in the upcoming Assembly elections.

“Punjab is yearning for change, and at this juncture, the Congress party must strengthen its organisation further while firmly raising issues that resonate with the public,” Pilot said.

Pilot also thanked Warring for his work during his tenure.

The leadership change comes as the Congress prepares for the Punjab Assembly election due in 2027. The immediate organisational challenge is to manage differences among various factions and establish the party's campaign structure ahead of the election.

The change also follows a broader reshuffle in the Punjab Congress, with Pilot replacing Baghel as state in-charge in September. The party had been dealing with disagreements over Warring's leadership for several months.

Pargat Singh will now take charge of the state unit, while the existing election-related committees are set to continue.