New Delhi, October 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Congress on Friday appointed former minister and Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh as the new president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), replacing Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring in a major organisational change ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
The appointment, which comes into effect immediately, brings to an end the suspense over who would lead the state Congress after the party high command decided to effect a change at the top of its Punjab unit.
In an order issued on October 2, the party said, “Hon’ble Congress President has appointed Shri Pargat Singh as the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect.”
The Congress also placed on record its appreciation for the contribution of outgoing PPCC president Raja Warring.
Importantly, the party has not disturbed the other organisational arrangements made earlier in Punjab. The order said the Working Presidents as well as the Chairpersons and Co-Chairpersons of various election-related committees in the state would continue in their existing positions.
Pargat Singh’s appointment comes after several days of intense political activity surrounding Warring’s continuation as state Congress president and amid persistent factional differences within the Punjab unit.
Warring had on Thursday effectively confirmed that he was no longer the PPCC president when he changed his X bio, first to “Former President INC Punjab” and subsequently to “Former PPCC President”.
On Friday, Warring met Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi and formally handed over his resignation. He said he had submitted it personally to Gandhi because it was Rahul Gandhi who had appointed him as Punjab Congress president.
After the meeting, Warring said Rahul Gandhi had discussed the political and organisational situation in Punjab with him and sought his assessment based on his more than four years of experience heading the state unit. Warring said he briefed Gandhi about the challenges facing the Congress as well as the party’s strengths ahead of the Assembly elections.
Even as Warring publicly expressed his continued loyalty to Rahul Gandhi, he appeared critical of newly appointed AICC Punjab affairs in-charge Sachin Pilot over the circumstances surrounding his removal.
Warring said he believed the new Punjab in-charge might have felt that he should be replaced, while at the same time acknowledging that he had no concrete proof to establish that Pilot had sought his removal.
He said he had met Pilot only once after the latter assumed charge of Punjab affairs and that their meeting had lasted around 15 minutes. Warring maintained that nobody had formally asked him to resign, saying that this was not the Congress tradition.
The leadership change followed organisational feedback gathered by Pilot after taking over as Punjab affairs in-charge. Pilot held consultations with party leaders and functionaries before the issue of the Punjab leadership was considered by the Congress high command.
Warring had headed the PPCC for more than four years, having been appointed following the Congress’s defeat in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.
His final months at the helm witnessed increasingly visible differences within the state Congress, with a section of senior leaders pressing the high command for a change in leadership. The question of replacing Warring had consequently become one of the most closely watched organisational issues within the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Pargat Singh’s name had figured among those being considered for the post during the deliberations over Warring’s successor. The former Indian hockey captain and Olympian represents Jalandhar Cantt in the Punjab Assembly and has previously served as a Cabinet minister in the Congress government.
With his appointment, the Congress has now settled the crucial question of who will head its Punjab organisation as the party prepares for the 2027 electoral battle.
The decision also marks a significant change in the political responsibilities of both leaders: Pargat Singh assumes charge of the state organisation with the Assembly elections approaching, while Warring continues in national parliamentary politics as the Congress MP from Ludhiana.
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