Punjab Congress chief Pargat Singh pitches ‘team spirit’ to faction-ridden unit

Amid deep factionalism in the Punjab Congress and ahead of the Assembly election, newly appointed Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Pargat Singh on Saturday (October 3, 2026) drew on his experience as former captain of the Indian hockey team, and stressed the importance of team spirit and being a team player.

Replacing Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, who headed the party’s Punjab unit for more than four years, Mr. Singh repeatedly used the language of sport to underline his approach to the job.

“I have been a team player,” he told reporters here, adding that he had always played as a “full-back” — a position centred on supporting the team from behind. “I feel there are very good players in our team. We will take all decisions unanimously,” he said, in a clear attempt to reach out to the party’s competing factions and senior leaders.

‘Issue is Punjab, not us’

He recast the gaze from internal differences to the larger political context in Punjab. “The issue is Punjab and not differences amongst us,” he said, while describing Mr. Warring as a “player of our team”. He also said that all the senior leaders would be ahead of him in the team.

“We are a team. This is Rahul Gandhi’s team,” Mr. Singh said, adding that the Congress would pursue “constructive politics” and seek to “revive democracy”.

His emphasis on cohesion comes at a politically difficult moment for the Punjab Congress, which has been marked by factional differences as the party prepares for the Assembly election, due early next year.

Mr. Singh, who called on the All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of Punjab, Sachin Pilot, stressed on building a “very good team in Punjab” and gave a call to those who had left the Congress to return if they wanted to contribute to the State.

Mr Pilot said Mr. Singh’s experience as a national hockey captain would help the party even though there isn’t much time left for the Punjab polls.

“Pargat Singh Ji has been a national icon. He served as the captain of the Indian hockey team and is a distinguished sportsperson. With that same spirit of inclusivity, he will be able to fully serve the people of Punjab,” Mr. Pilot said.

Mr. Pilot said the Congress would work together with its workers to form the government in Punjab. Describing the outgoing PCC chief as a “younger brother”, he said Mr. Warring had worked with dedication to strengthen the Congress and expressed confidence that he would continue to contribute to the party.

Former Union Minister Ashwani Kumar, who had left the Congress a few years ago, said though Mr. Singh’s appointment was “somewhat unexpected,” the decision represented a generational shift in the State leadership.

“He must use his personal goodwill, stand for civility in political discourse, avoid harsh political rhetoric, finalise an imaginative and doable agenda for Punjab’s renewal and present the Congress as a party of inclusion,” Mr. Kumar said.