New Delhi: Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has resigned as President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC). According to sources in New Delhi, the Congress is expected to announce his successor within the next 24 to 48 hours.
Former Punjab Minister Vijay Inder Singla is among the leading contenders for the post. The names of Jalandhar Cantt MLA and former Indian hockey captain Pargat Singh and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa are also being discussed within the party.
Raja Warring was elected to the Lok Sabha from Ludhiana in 2024. He assumed the position of Punjab Congress President in April 2022. This appointment came after the Congress suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Punjab Assembly elections.
Protracted Factionalism in the Punjab Congress
Warding’s resignation comes amid a long-standing internal feud within the Punjab Congress. He was seen as a prominent figure in one faction of the party, while the other faction stood with former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
Channi assumed the Chief Ministership before the 2022 Assembly elections. The Congress appointed him to the position after removing Captain Amarinder Singh from the post. During that period, the party witnessed considerable controversy and infighting under the leadership of Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Sidhu is no longer in the Congress, but the differences between the factions within the party have not completely subsided. This feud came to the fore after the Congress high command decided to retain Warring as state president in July.
Bhupesh Baghel, who was in charge of the Punjab Congress at the time, was also said by some leaders to be in favor of Warding.
Congress also changes Punjab in-charge
Amidst the intensifying activities of various factions in Punjab, the Congress high command initiated changes in the state organization.
On September 5, the Congress appointed former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan and party General Secretary Sachin Pilot as the in-charge of Punjab. He replaced former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who had been in-charge since the beginning of 2025.
Sachin Pilot had previously been in charge of party affairs in Chhattisgarh since December 2023. Upon becoming the Punjab in-charge, he was welcomed by leaders from various factions. One of his initial events included a protest, where leaders from various factions of the party came together.
Names of Channi, Bajwa, and other leaders in discussion
The decision to retain Vading as the state president was also not fully accepted within the party. On July 1, the Congress high command announced Vading’s retention as Punjab Congress president, while Charanjit Singh Channi was given the responsibility of the election campaign committee.
However, this arrangement did not satisfy Channi. Congress Legislature Party leader Pratap Singh Bajwa was also reported to be not fully in agreement with this arrangement.
Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who, like Warring, belongs to the Jat Sikh community, was seen as supporting Channi. Meanwhile, prominent Hindu leader Vijay Inder Singla, who belongs to the Bania business community, was appointed head of the election management committee.
Singla’s name also figured prominently for the post of Punjab Congress president in June-July, but the party decided to retain Warring at that time.
Pargat Singh, who also belongs to the Jat Sikh community, was seen as a relatively neutral leader between the two factions.
Congress preparing for the 2027 elections
Leaders from various factions of the Punjab Congress welcomed Sachin Pilot upon his arrival in Chandigarh. Channi thanked the Congress high command for its decision, while Warring also welcomed Pilot and thanked Bhupesh Baghel for his guidance.
Punjab Assembly elections are scheduled for early 2027. The Congress will face the Aam Aadmi Party government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in the state.
Meanwhile, discussions are underway regarding a possible alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The Akali Dal (Waaris Punjab De), led by jailed MP Amritpal Singh, is also preparing to contest the elections.
The Congress is preparing to launch its election campaign. Party leader Rahul Gandhi has also scheduled a bus tour in Punjab.