INC Appoints Hockey Legend Pargat Singh as State Chief

October

2026

The Indian National Congress (INC) has appointed hockey legend Pargat Singh as the president of the Punjab Pradesh (state) Congress Committee (PPCC). Earlier, after months of acrimony within the Panjab INC unit, former PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring resigned from the post on 20 Sep. 61-year-old Pargat is a three-term Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Jalandhar Cantonment. Pargat joined politics in 2012 as part of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). After that, he briefly joined a short-lived party Aawaaz-e-Punjab. He joined INC in 2017 and has been the state INC general secretary (organization). Warring, Panjab Leader of Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa, and former Chief Minister Charanjit Channi have welcomed Pargat’s appointment. In September, INC had replaced its party state in-charge and appointed Sachin Pilot in place of Bhupesh Baghel. Baghel was seen as partisan in a battle largely between camps led by Warring and Channi. Pargat is a moderate Jat Sikh, has a clean image, is soft-spoken but a firm team player, and was not aligned with any group—a factor that could help bring senior leaders together. With the Assembly elections just four months away in February 2027, Pargat’s task will be to address the party’s factionalism and decide whether to continue with the district-level organizational structure Warring created or bring in changes without upsetting entrenched leaders. Pargat’s other challenge is that while Bajwa and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa are from north Panjab—25 seats, Channi and Pargat are from central Panjab—23 seats, the party does not have much of a presence in south Panjab—69 seats. He will have to focus on that region. Before entering politics, Pargat captained the Indian hockey team from 1989–96 and played as a full-back defender. He has repeatedly said his experience as a player will help him unite the party in the state. Pargat has consistently criticized the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government both inside the Assembly and through public statements. Panjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema asked why Pargat did not raise the issues of drug abuse and sacrilege when he was in the SAD (earlier coverage).