Congress appoints Pargat Singh as Punjab chief ahead of 2027 polls
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Congress appoints Pargat Singh as Punjab chief ahead of 2027 polls")
Pargat Singh, newly appointed president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Photograph: (ANI)
Congress has appointed former Olympian Pargat Singh as Punjab Congress chief, replacing Raja Warring. The change comes ahead of the 2027 polls after Warring resigned following a meeting with Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress on Friday (Oct 2) appointed former Olympian and Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh as the new president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), replacing Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. The appointment comes ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections and amid longstanding factional differences within the state unit.
Announcing the decision on X, the Congress said, “Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has appointed Pargat Singh as the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect.”
Singh, a former Indian hockey player and Olympian, has been associated with the Congress for years and has represented Jalandhar Cantt in the Punjab Assembly.
Warring resigns after meeting Rahul Gandhi
The appointment came shortly after Warring met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday and formally submitted his resignation as Punjab Congress chief. Warring had led the state unit for more than four years.
“I met Rahul Gandhi and formally gave him my resignation,” Warring told reporters after the meeting.
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Before stepping down, Warring had also indicated that Sachin Pilot, the Congress’s AICC in-charge for Punjab, may have decided that it was time for him to leave the post.
Speaking to ANI, Warring said he had already conveyed his views to Rahul Gandhi and had little else to add.
“Given my long journey in politics, I feel that Sachin Pilot must have decided it was time to remove 'Raja' from the post. I don't have concrete proof of this, but perhaps the General Secretary felt that Raja should be removed,” Warring said.
“Otherwise, there is no specific issue. I have conveyed what I had to say to Rahul Gandhi.
There is no one left after Rahul Gandhi to whom I could explain what should or shouldn't happen,” he added.
Change comes ahead of 2027 polls
Pargat Singh’s appointment comes as the Congress prepares for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, with efforts underway to manage differences within the state organisation.
The party recently replaced Bhupesh Baghel as its Punjab in-charge with Sachin Pilot. Baghel had spent weeks in the state attempting to address differences within the party.
The change at the top of the Punjab Congress now puts Singh in charge of the state unit as the party begins preparations for the next Assembly election.
