Punjab Congress leadership pays obeisance at Golden Temple in first Amritsar visit under Pargat Singh
Kulwinder Singh
Amritsar (Punjab), October 8, 2026: Newly appointed Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Pargat Singh and Punjab Congress in-charge Sachin Pilot, along with senior party leaders, paid obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib here on Thursday as the state unit began preparations for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
The visit marked Pargat Singh’s first visit to Punjab after being appointed the state Congress president. A large number of Congress leaders and workers gathered at the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport earlier in the day to welcome Pargat Singh and Sachin Pilot.
The Congress delegation offered prayers at Sri Harmandir Sahib and sought blessings for Punjab and its people. The leaders are also scheduled to visit other religious places in Amritsar, including the Durgiana Temple, St Paul’s Church and Ram Tirath Temple.
Pargat Singh said the visit was aimed at seeking blessings and expressing gratitude, while stressing the importance of maintaining the sanctity and discipline of religious places.
The programme comes ahead of Pargat Singh formally taking charge as Punjab Congress president at the Punjab Congress Bhawan in Chandigarh on October 11. The party has planned a series of programmes over the coming days as part of its organisational preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections.
Bajwa targets Punjab government
Speaking during the visit, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa criticised the Aam Aadmi Party government and alleged that the state administration had failed to live up to its claims of transparency and clean governance.
Bajwa alleged that concerns over law and order, safety and employment were contributing to people leaving Punjab. He also criticised the government over the issues being raised in connection with investigations involving the Chief Minister’s office.
The allegations are part of the Congress’s political criticism of the state government.
Bajwa said the Congress would fight the 2027 Assembly elections collectively and claimed that the party’s state leadership would work together.
Pargat Singh stresses Punjab’s political tradition
Pargat Singh said Punjab’s political culture did not favour politics based on hatred and said the Congress would remain committed to the Constitution and the values associated with Punjabiyat.
He said the party had a strong team and that the organisation would work collectively ahead of the Assembly elections.
The visit is being seen as an early effort by the new state leadership to bring different sections of the Punjab Congress together. Pargat Singh has been reaching out to leaders from different groups since his appointment, while the party has sought to project a united state organisation ahead of the elections.
Sachin Pilot seeks blessings for Punjab’s youth
Sachin Pilot also paid obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib and said he had come to seek the blessings of Guru Sahib as the party began a new phase in Punjab.
Pilot said Punjab and the country faced challenges including corruption, the drug problem and other social issues. He expressed hope that the coming period would bring a better future for the younger generation.
The Congress leader also expressed confidence about the party’s prospects in the 2027 Assembly elections. The Amritsar visit is the first part of a wider organisational programme. The party’s schedule includes programmes in Himachal Pradesh on October 9, Jalandhar on October 10 and the formal assumption of office by Pargat Singh in Chandigarh on October 11.