Three-time MLA and former Indian hockey captain Pargat Singh formally assumed charge as the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) at a ceremony at Congress Bhawan in Chandigarh on Sunday, as the party sought to project unity and strengthen its organisation ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Punjab Congress affairs in-charge Sachin Pilot and several senior party leaders attended the programme, which brought together prominent figures from different sections of the state unit. Those present included former PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari.
Taking charge amid continuing challenges within the state Congress, Pargat Singh said his priority would be to address Punjab’s problems and fulfil the aspirations of its people. He stressed the need for clean politics and rejected the use of political vendettas, saying that public service should remain at the centre of political activity.
“I will do clean politics and not indulge in vendetta politics,” Singh said, underlining his intention to focus on issues affecting ordinary Punjabis rather than political hostility.
Singh also criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, alleging that its policies had harmed Punjab and that the bureaucracy was being used as a political instrument. He called on government officials to discharge their responsibilities impartially and in the public interest.
Pilot expressed confidence in Singh’s leadership and called for the Congress to work collectively to challenge the ruling AAP in the next Assembly elections. The gathering also carried a message of reconciliation, with Warring reaffirming his commitment to the Congress despite the change in state leadership.
Pargat Singh’s appointment comes at a crucial time for the Congress, which is seeking to overcome internal differences, improve coordination among senior leaders and mobilise its grassroots network before the 2027 polls. His immediate challenge will be to bring the party’s different groups together and convert the show of unity into a sustained organisational and electoral effort.
The new PPCC president, a former India hockey captain and long-serving MLA from Jalandhar Cantonment, brings both sporting recognition and political experience to the role. His leadership will be closely watched as the Congress prepares to take on the AAP government and seeks to regain power in Punjab.
