Pargat Singh takes charge as Punjab Congress chief, calls for ‘positive politics’ ahead of 2027 polls

CHANDIGARH: With the 2027 Assembly elections less than four months away, senior Congress leaders, including outgoing state chief Amrinder 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, gathered at the party headquarters on Sunday for the oath-taking ceremony of newly appointed Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh, who stressed the need for “positive politics” despite rain disrupting the event.

As the oath-taking ceremony began, heavy rain forced party supporters to rush for shelter. However, they continued raising slogans in support of the new party chief. Senior leaders and party workers were seen using umbrellas as the proceedings continued.

The 61-year-old Pargat Singh, a former Olympian and Indian hockey captain, is a three-time MLA from Jalandhar Cantonment. He replaced Ludhiana Member of Parliament Warring as the Punjab Congress chief. The Congress replaced Warring after weeks of internal unrest over the state leadership threatened to hurt the party's campaign for the crucial Assembly elections due early next year.

Punjab Congress in-charge and AICC General Secretary Sachin Pilot formally handed over the responsibility of the state party presidency to Pargat Singh.

Led by Punjab Congress affairs in-charge Sachin Pilot, the other senior leaders present included MLAs Rana Gurjit Singh and Sukhpal Singh Khaira.

Before formally taking charge, Pargat Singh said he was beginning his new journey on the auspicious occasion of the first Navratra and asserted that Punjab’s issues and the aspirations of the common man would be his top priorities.

Addressing the gathering, Singh thanked the party leadership for entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the Punjab Congress. “For me, it is not just assuming the charge of Punjab Congress president, but an increasing of my responsibility towards the state,” he said and emphasised the need for “positive politics”.

“Real thing is what people of Punjab want. What they say? The issues of Punjab are first,” he said.

Singh said the real strength of the state lay in its ordinary citizens: farmers who feed the country, young people struggling to secure their future, traders and business owners who contribute to the state’s economy, and families aspiring to a safe, dignified and better life. He said the Congress had a responsibility not merely to contest elections but also to become the voice of the people and stand firmly for their rights.

“The people of Punjab are waiting for their rights, justice and a secure future. It is our responsibility to meet the expectations of every section, from farmers to young people. The Congress is united, and our struggle is against a system that has failed to secure people’s rightful entitlements,” he said.

He said it was essential to understand the sentiments of people awaiting justice in sacrilege cases and to raise their voice in support of justice. The true test of any government, he added, was the public’s trust and the positive change it brought to people’s lives. The people of Punjab want respect and justice, not hatred.

Taking aim at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Singh said the government should focus on the problems facing Punjab’s people instead of worrying about the Congress team. He said the Congress had a strong team of experienced leaders and dedicated workers.

Referring to the experience of MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, he said the party would work collectively to safeguard Punjab’s interests.

He said the people of Punjab did not favour politics based on hatred. Referring to the farmers’ struggle, Singh said the farmers’ movement had sent a message across the country that when people unite to fight for their rights, their voices cannot simply be ignored.

Raising questions about law and order and the functioning of the administration in Punjab, Pargat Singh, who was himself a police officer earlier, urged Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav and Chief Secretary KAP Sinha to work within the framework of the law. He said everyone holding public office had a responsibility to act impartially and in accordance with the law. The administration’s purpose should be to serve the people and create a sense of security and confidence among citizens.

He alleged that the bureaucracy had become a tool in the hands of the ruling party. Singh urged officials to discharge their duties responsibly. “I want to announce that I will do clean politics and not indulge in vendetta politics,” he said.

Singh also criticised the state government, asserting that Punjabis despise the politics of hatred.

In a message to party workers, Singh said ordinary people’s problems must remain at the centre of politics. He urged party workers to stay away from misleading videos generated using artificial intelligence (AI) and negative campaigning.

He said Congress workers should prioritise meeting people, listening to their problems, raising their concerns and fighting for solutions.

Drawing an analogy from sports, Punjab Congress in-charge and AICC General Secretary Sachin Pilot said a strong team was essential for a good captain. Pargat Singh had a team of experienced Punjab Congress leaders and dedicated workers who could work together to take the party forward. He said the Congress’s objective was not merely to achieve political success but also to win the hearts of Punjab’s people and live up to their expectations.

Emphasising the role of young people, Pilot said the future belonged to the youth. The Congress would move forward with young people and take Rahul Gandhi’s message from villages to cities to mobilise public support for forming a Congress government in Punjab.

He expressed confidence that the unity of Congress workers and public support would help strengthen the party’s position in the state.

Addressing the gathering, Warring, who arrived at Congress Bhawan with his supporters and raised slogans to draw attention before joining other leaders near the stage, said he had come to congratulate Pargat Singh despite facing opposition from a section of party leaders.

“I will continue to work for the betterment of the Congress. My only leader is Rahul Gandhi. I have requested Rahul Gandhi not to forget the party leaders and workers who have worked for the past four-and-a-half years,” he said.

Earlier, Warring held a show of strength at a rented palatial house in Sector 10 of Chandigarh, where he gathered supporters before proceeding to the party headquarters. The house, once occupied by former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh before he assumed office, has been taken on rent by Warring for his political activities.

Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa praised Warring, who served as Punjab Congress president for more than four years, and added that Punjab was waiting for a new government that would protect people's lives, businesses and families.

He said the people of Punjab wanted a safe environment, better law and order, and a bright future for their children. He added that the time had come for effective action against gangsterism and various mafia activities in the state.

Young people needed opportunities to build their futures through education, employment and entrepreneurship rather than being drawn towards crime.

Criticising Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and other AAP leaders, Bajwa said the Congress would ensure accountability if it came to power. He also made a political statement about sending the Chief Minister to jail.

Bajwa expressed concern over the alleged deletion of 20 lakh votes in Punjab and called for the resolution of problems faced by farmers in the procurement of their crops at mandis. He said farmers should not face difficulties in selling their produce and that the government procurement system must function smoothly.

Meanwhile, addressing the gathering, former Chief Minister and Jalandhar MP Channi described the rain as a welcome development as he congratulated Singh on his appointment as Punjab Congress president.

Hitting out at the ruling AAP government, Channi called on the people of the state to stand up against those “looting” Punjab.

“We should move ahead unitedly as we have to fight the battle of Punjab, Punjabiyat, farmers, labourers and shopkeepers. We should fight unitedly,” Channi said.

He said the time for political change in Punjab was approaching and that the Congress would launch a statewide campaign to give voice to people’s aspirations.

Channi said the party would soon begin its election campaign with a major rally and take the Congress ideology to every household.

Appealing to workers to prepare for the political struggle ahead, he expressed confidence that the Congress would work collectively under Pargat Singh’s leadership to form the government in Punjab. He assured Pargat Singh of his support under all circumstances.

Referring to Pargat Singh’s background as a hockey player, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said that when he was asked whether he would pass the ball to Pargat Singh, he replied that he would not merely pass the ball but would also firmly take on the political challenges posed by the Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP. He stressed the need to mobilise public support for the Congress once again in Punjab.

Criticising Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s style of functioning, Randhawa also targeted the Central Government, saying that democratic values required a united political struggle for their protection.

Party leaders described the gathering as a reflection of organisational unity and the commitment of workers to the political challenges ahead.