Punjab Congress Projects Unity Behind Pargat Singh As He Takes The Chair 5 Months Before Polls

Putting up a united front ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, the Congress on Sunday brought its senior state leaders together at the party headquarters as Pargat Singh formally took charge as the new Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president. Despite rain disrupting the ceremony somewhat, party workers continued raising slogans while the leadership used the occasion to signal a collective fight against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

From former PPCC chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi to Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, several prominent leaders attended the ceremony. Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari was also present, with Punjab Congress affairs in-charge Sachin Pilot leading the proceedings.

The gathering was politically significant for a party that has struggled with factional differences and competing leadership ambitions in Punjab.

Sachin Pilot Declares War On AAP

Setting the tone for the Congress's electoral campaign, Pilot said the party would work collectively under the leadership of national president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi to win the next Assembly elections.

"I congratulate Pargat Singh ji. He has been entrusted with an immense responsibility," Pilot said, describing the new PPCC chief as a team player and recalling his achievements as captain of the Indian hockey team and his participation in the Olympics.

With about five months left before the electoral battle, Pilot said the people of Punjab were waiting for an opportunity to remove the AAP government from power.

Raja Warring Sends A Message

One of the key political moments of the ceremony came when Warring attended the event despite differences with a section of party leaders.

"I will continue to work for the betterment of the Congress. My only leader is Rahul Gandhi," Warring said. He also urged Rahul Gandhi not to forget the party leaders and workers who had worked for the Congress over the past four-and-a-half years.

Warring arrived at Congress Bhawan with his supporters before joining other leaders near the stage. Earlier, he had gathered supporters at his residence in Sector 10, Chandigarh, in a show of strength before heading to the party headquarters.

Pargat Singh Vows to Put Punjab's Issues First

Taking charge on the first day of the religiously auspicious period of Navratri, Pargat Singh described the occasion as the beginning of a new journey and said Punjab's issues and the aspirations of ordinary people would remain his top priorities.

He launched a sharp attack on the AAP government, alleging that it had ruined Punjab and claiming that the bureaucracy had become a tool in the hands of the ruling party. He urged officials to discharge their duties responsibly.

Charanjit Channi's Hockey Analogy

Channi, himself a former handball player and three-time inter-university gold medallist, used a sporting analogy to underline the importance of teamwork.

"Our newly appointed president, Sardar Pargat Singh, has been the captain of the national hockey team ten times and is an international player. We know how to pass the ball to each other and how a goal is scored, and I know how to stop a goal because I have been on the goalpost myself," he said.

Channi also described the rain as culturally auspicious. The downpour forced supporters to rush for shelter, but the ceremony continued as leaders and workers used umbrellas.