Congress appoints Pargat Singh as new Punjab chief, Warring resigns

AICC’s decision puts an end to months of uncertainty; Warring submits his resignation as PPCC chief to Rahul Gandhi

Updated - October 02, 2026 10:10 pm IST - CHANDIGARH

Pargat Singh, appointed as the new president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC). Photo credit: X/@PargatSOfficial

Putting an end to months of uncertainty around the position of Punjab Congress chief, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Friday (October 2, 2026) appointed Congress MLA Pargat Singh as the new president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).

Mr. Singh, a former Minister and the captain of Indian men’s hockey team, has been given the new responsibility, after Congress leader Amarinder Singh Raja Warring formally submitted his resignation from the post of PPCC chief to former party president Rahul Gandhi.

Mr. Singh’s appointment is seen as a move to curb the ongoing power tussle in the Congress’s Punjab unit. The turf war, particularly between former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Mr. Warring, was on public display for the past several months. To tackle this internal turmoil, the party’s central leadership last month replaced Bhupesh Baghel with Sachin Pilot as the party in-charge for Punjab and now replacing Mr. Warring with Mr. Singh is also been seen as an attempt to pacify the discontented leaders ahead of the crucial 2027 Assembly polls.

Party sources said Mr. Singh’s appointment was driven largely by his clean, non-controversial image, which made him an acceptable choice across factions. By picking him, the party appears to have struck a balancing act, hoping he can bridge the divide between the two rival camps.

Mr. Warring, who was the State president since April 22, 2022, told mediapersons in New Delhi: “I met Rahul Gandhi and formally gave him my resignation.”

Asserting that he was ready to serve the party wherever needed, he said Mr. Gandhi had asked him about the current political situation in Punjab and the way forward for the party there. “I explained to him both the challenges the Congress faces in Punjab and its strengths,” Mr. Warring said.

Published - October 02, 2026 04:22 pm IST

Indian National Congress / Rahul Gandhi

Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.