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Pargat Singh appointed Punjab Congress chief after Warring's exit, takes charge ahead of 2027 Assembly polls
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, who had headed the state unit since April 2022, met Rahul Gandhi in Delhi and submitted his resignation.
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The Indian National Congress on Friday appointed former Olympian and Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh as the new president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).
Singh will replace Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, and take charge ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls in Punjab. Warring, who had headed the state unit since April 2022, met Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in Delhi and submitted his resignation.
The Jalandhar Cantonment MLA's elevation comes after months of differences within the Punjab Congress. Congress’s Punjab affairs in-charge Sachin Pilot had held consultations with state leaders before the leadership change.
Three-time Jalandar Cantonment MLA, experienced legislator
Pargat, 61, is a three-time MLA from Jalandhar Cantonment, having first won the seat in 2012 and retaining it in 2017 and 2022.
Pargat’s appointment brings an experienced legislator to the helm of Punjab Congress at a time when the party is seeking to bridge differences among its senior leaders and strengthen its organisation ahead of the polls.
Also Read | Why Warring's position in Punjab Congress became untenable once Pilot replaced Baghel
International hockey career
Before entering electoral politics, Singh had a long international hockey career and captained the Indian team at the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He was also part of the Indian teams at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and several World Cups.
Born in Mithapur, Jalandhar, Pargat played for Punjab Police and was associated with Indian Railways. He served as Punjab’s director of sports and was credited with pushing sports infrastructure, including hockey turfs, in villages during his tenure. He was appointed India’s national hockey coach in 1998. He was conferred the Arjuna Award in 1989 and the Padma Shri in 1998.
Entry into politics
Pargat entered electoral politics with the Shiromani Akali Dal and won the Jalandhar Cantonment seat in 2012. He subsequently joined the Congress and retained the constituency in 2017 and 2022. He served as a cabinet minister in the Charanjit Singh Channi government from September 2021 to March 2022.
Within the Congress, Pargat has also held organisational responsibilities. In 2021, then PPCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu appointed him general secretary (organisation) of the state unit.
Pargat will now have the task of leading the party organisation into the 2027 assembly election while coordinating leaders from different factions and preparing the Congress for a contest in which organisational consolidation will be a key focus.
