Sunny Khurma
Cheif Editor
Chandigarh/Jalandhar, October 3, 2026: Newly appointed Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Pargat Singh has issued his first public statement after taking charge of the state unit, promising to work with full commitment to strengthen the party and focus its politics on issues affecting Punjab.
The Jalandhar Cantonment MLA thanked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K.C. Venugopal, Punjab affairs in-charge Sachin Pilot and other senior party leaders for entrusting him with the responsibility.
Singh said he would work with dedication to strengthen the Congress organisation in Punjab while remaining focused on serving the people of the state. His appointment comes ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly election, giving him responsibility for leading the party’s organisational preparations during a politically important period.
In his first interaction with the media after the appointment, Pargat Singh said the Congress under his leadership would focus on positive and agenda-based politics, with greater attention to Punjab’s social, economic and governance challenges.
He said political discussion in the state should revolve around what Punjab needs in the coming years rather than being driven only by confrontation between parties.
Singh also referred to Punjab’s tradition of communal harmony and said people of the state had historically rejected divisive politics. He called for strengthening brotherhood and collective efforts around issues concerning Punjab’s rights and future.
At the same time, the new PPCC president criticised the present Punjab government over the management of state resources and property. These were political allegations made by Singh; the state government has separately disputed Congress criticism of its governance.
Singh said his party would raise questions relating to Punjab’s finances, public assets and development while presenting what he described as a constructive alternative before voters.
The former Indian hockey captain also faces an organisational challenge within his own party.
Punjab Congress has several senior leaders with significant support bases, and the new president will be responsible for coordinating between the state leadership, MLAs, MPs, district organisations and grassroots workers as the party prepares for the next Assembly election.
Singh succeeds Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, who stepped down as Punjab Congress president. Warring had led the state organisation since April 2022 and publicly congratulated Pargat Singh following the leadership change.
Pargat Singh is a three-time MLA from Jalandhar Cantonment. He first entered the Punjab Assembly in 2012 and later joined the Congress, winning the constituency again in 2017 and 2022.
Before his political career, Singh was one of India’s prominent hockey players and captained the national team at the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. He later served in sports administration and also held ministerial responsibility in Punjab.
His elevation to the Punjab Congress presidency now places the Jalandhar-based leader at the centre of the party’s preparations for 2027.
For Pargat Singh, the immediate focus will be on building organisational coordination while defining the issues Congress intends to raise before Punjab voters.
His first message after assuming office indicates that he wants the party’s campaign to centre on Punjab-specific issues, organisational unity and what he has described as constructive, agenda-driven politics.
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