Clean politics, no vendetta: Pargat Singh assumes charge as Punjab Congress president

Three-time MLA and former Indian hockey captain Pargat Singh on Sunday formally assumed charge as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president at a ceremony at Congress Bhawan in Sector 15, Chandigarh. Senior leaders present at the ceremony projected a united front ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

The event began in the morning amid heavy rains. Pargat described the day as the start of his formal responsibility on the first day of Navratri.

He said Punjab's issues and ordinary people's aspirations would be his priorities. "I want to announce that I will do clean politics and not indulge in vendetta politics," he said, adding that Punjabis rejected the politics of hatred.

The PPCC chief also said that assuming the post was not merely a change of charge but an increase in his responsibility towards Punjab.

Pargat also took a jibe at the AAP, saying the party has harmed the state while turning the bureaucracy into a political tool.

Punjab Congress affairs in-charge Sachin Pilot congratulated Pargat Singh and highlighted the weight of the assignment. He described the new president as a proven team player who had captained the Indian hockey team, won medals and represented the country at the Olympics.

"People say that Congress has got a good Captain in Punjab. I would say that the Captain has also got a good team."

Pilot also commended outgoing president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. He said Warring had worked hard for four and a half years and that "no hard work ever goes to waste".

The party affairs in-charge also said the party, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, would work tirelessly to contest and win the coming election. He claimed that the people of Punjab were waiting for a chance to remove the AAP.

Former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi called the rain a welcome development and congratulated Singh.

Channi also urged a united fight for Punjab, Punjabiyat, farmers, labourers and shopkeepers against those he said were "looting" the state.

Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said Punjab was waiting for a new government that would protect lives, businesses and families, and acknowledged Warring's tenure.

Among others present were outgoing PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, and Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari.

Party sources said AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal could not attend due to prior engagements in Delhi.