Pargat Singh takes charge of Congress’s Punjab unit

Pargat Singh formally took charge as president of the Indian National Congress’s Punjab unit on October 11 at a ceremony at the party headquarters in Chandigarh.

The three-time state legislator and former Indian hockey captain replaced Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, who stepped down on October 1. The leadership change comes ahead of Punjab’s 2027 Assembly elections.

Congress general secretary in charge of Punjab, Sachin Pilot, said he expected the party to secure an absolute majority. He asserted that voters wanted to replace the Aam Aadmi Party government. That was Pilot’s campaign assessment, rather than a polling or election result.

The new president called on party colleagues to work collectively on the state’s challenges. Congress MP Manish Tewari also urged unity within the organisation.

Warring, who led the state unit for four and a half years, pledged to support Singh and continue working for Congress. He said he would not oppose the new leadership despite earlier internal disagreements.

Former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi attended the ceremony, criticised the incumbent government and said he would raise Punjab’s problems. Pilot thanked Warring for his work as president and said responsibility for the state unit had now passed to Singh. Warring said he would continue as a Congress worker regardless of whether he received a ticket to stand at the next Assembly elections. The leadership change is accompanied by calls to overcome disagreements within the organisation.