Warring says nobody directly asked him to resign but suggests state in-charge Pilot may have favoured his removal.
“Channi Saab won,” said Amarinder Singh Raja Warring after the Congress high command appointed Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh as the new Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president on Friday, ending Warring’s tenure and bringing about the leadership change sought by the camp of former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi. Warring, who met Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi and submitted his resignation, said nobody had directly asked him to step down. However, he indicated that he had got the impression that newly appointed Punjab in-charge Sachin Pilot wanted him removed from the post. The appointment of Pargat Singh, announced by AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal, takes effect immediately.
The Congress has retained the existing working presidents and the chairpersons and co-chairpersons of various election-related committees in Punjab. The appointment marks a significant organisational change in the state Congress, where prolonged differences between Warring and Channi’s supporters had repeatedly brought the leadership question to the forefront. Speaking after meeting Rahul Gandhi, Warring said he had met Pilot only once since the latter took charge of Punjab, with their interaction lasting around 15 minutes. Referring to Pilot’s limited engagement with the state unit, he said he had formed the impression that Pilot wanted a change in leadership. Warring maintained that Rahul Gandhi had appointed him as PPCC president and, therefore, he chose to submit his resignation to him.The leadership change follows months of internal discord, with Channi’s supporters pressing for Warring’s removal and questioning his leadership and the party’s preparedness for the 2027 Assembly elections.
The Congress had attempted to contain the differences through an arrangement announced on July 1, retaining Warring as state president while appointing Channi chairman of the campaign committee and Vijay Inder Singla head of the election management committee. The arrangement, however, failed to bring the rival camps together. The differences were also visible during organisational meetings and party gatherings, where slogans supporting Channi were raised. Several leaders had sought a change at the top, keeping the state unit divided ahead of the next electoral contest. Pilot was appointed AICC general secretary in charge of Punjab on September 5, replacing Bhupesh Baghel. Following his appointment, he held consultations with senior leaders, MPs and organisational functionaries to assess the party’s position in the state. The feedback reportedly brought the leadership dispute and organisational concerns into focus before the high command.
