Pargat Singh’s appointment: Better late than never……by Darbara Singh Kahlon
The Congress party’s decision to appoint Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) on October 2, 2026, has brought a new focus to the party’s leadership in Punjab.
A former Olympian hockey player, police officer, Director of Sports and Punjab Education and Sports Minister, Pargat Singh has held several public positions during his career. His appointment has been welcomed by several Congress leaders and supporters.
The decision comes at a crucial time for the Punjab Congress, which has faced prolonged internal differences and competing leadership claims.
A Difficult Task
The Congress in Punjab has experienced factional differences and leadership changes in recent years.
After Captain Amarinder Singh was removed as Chief Minister in 2021, the party went through another period of political instability. Amarinder Singh Raja Warring was appointed Punjab Congress president in April 2022 after Navjot Singh Sidhu’s tenure.
The Congress subsequently suffered a major setback in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, winning 18 of the state’s 117 Assembly seats, while the Aam Aadmi Party won 92.
The political landscape changed again in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the Congress won seven of Punjab’s 13 parliamentary seats. The party also won the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat.
However, internal differences continued within the Punjab Congress. The party high command subsequently made organisational changes, including the appointment of Bhupesh Baghel as Punjab Congress in-charge in 2025.
In September 2026, the Congress appointed Rajasthan leader Sachin Pilot as the new in-charge of Punjab Congress affairs, replacing Baghel.
Sachin Pilot’s Assignment
Pilot’s appointment came against the backdrop of continuing organisational challenges in the Punjab unit.
According to the author, Pilot’s responsibilities included strengthening the party organisation, addressing factional differences and maintaining balance among different regions and sections within the party.
The author argues that Pilot’s intervention eventually contributed to the decision to change the state party leadership.
Why Pargat Singh?
Several names were reportedly discussed for the Punjab Congress president’s post before the final decision.
Pargat Singh eventually emerged as the choice of the party high command.
His political career has included a transition from the Shiromani Akali Dal to the Congress. He was elected MLA from Jalandhar Cantonment on an Akali Dal ticket in 2012 and later joined the Congress before the 2017 Assembly elections.
During his time in the Akali Dal, he had differences with the party leadership over certain issues and was later expelled from the party. He subsequently joined the Congress.
His sporting background is another distinctive feature of his public career. A former Indian hockey captain and Olympian, he has also served as Punjab’s Director of Sports and as Education and Sports Minister.
An Instance of Accountability
The author recalls an episode from his tenure as State Information Commissioner involving Pargat Singh, who had appeared before him in his capacity as Director of Sports.
According to the author, Singh was fined Rs 5,000 for a violation of rules. The author says Singh accepted the decision and deposited the amount in the government treasury.
The incident, according to the author, reflected Singh’s willingness to accept institutional accountability.
The Road Ahead
Pargat Singh’s appointment has been publicly welcomed by several Congress leaders.
The author describes the decision as a possible opportunity for the party to overcome its internal differences and function as a united political organisation.
However, the new PPCC president faces a substantial organisational challenge. He will have to bring together leaders and workers with differing political interests, strengthen the party organisation and oversee candidate selection ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections.
His experience as a hockey captain may offer a useful analogy: building a successful team requires coordination, discipline and the ability to bring individuals with different strengths together around a common objective.
For Pargat Singh, the challenge now is to translate his political experience and organisational responsibilities into a more cohesive Punjab Congress.
“Der Aaye, Durust Aaye” — better late than never — may therefore be an appropriate description of the latest change in the Punjab Congress leadership. Darbara Singh Kahlon is a former State Information Commissioner, Punjab, and is based in Kingston, Canada.
October 3, 2026
-
-
Darbara Singh Kahlon, Former State Information Commissioner, Kingston - Canada, Punjab
kahlondarbarasingh@gmail.com
Phone No. : +1 289 829 2929
Disclaimer : The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the writer/author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Babushahi.com or Tirchhi Nazar Media. Babushahi.com or Tirchhi Nazar Media does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.