New Delhi: In a significant political development ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has stepped down from his position as the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC). According to reliable party sources in New Delhi, the Congress high command conveyed its decision to replace Warring on Wednesday night, signalling a major leadership overhaul in the faction-ridden state unit.
The central Congress leadership is expected to officially announce his successor within the next 24 to 48 hours. The move comes as the party desperately attempts to put its house in order and present a united front just months before Punjab goes to the polls in 2027.
Warring, who also serves as the Member of Parliament from Ludhiana, took charge of the Punjab Congress in April 2022. His appointment had followed the party’s massive drubbing at the hands of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the state assembly elections. However, his tenure was consistently marred by intense infighting and factionalism, which reportedly reached a boiling point in recent months. The state unit was visibly divided, with one prominent faction rallying behind former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, while another supported Warring.
According to party insiders, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leadership had been deliberating over a leadership change for quite some time. Following the appointment of Sachin Pilot as the new Punjab Congress in-charge, dissident leaders were reportedly assured that their grievances would be addressed and a structural revamp was on the horizon. The recent developments indicate that the high command finally decided to act to prevent further electoral damage.
As the race for the top post heats up, several senior leaders are being considered to take the reins. Former state minister Vijay Inder Singla has emerged as a prominent frontrunner. Other key contenders reportedly include Jalandhar Cantonment MLA and former Indian hockey captain Pargat Singh, Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, and senior leader Partap Singh Bajwa.
A senior party leader from the Doaba region stated that the grassroots cadre was growing restless due to the prolonged uncertainty. “We have very little time left to get into poll mode. Ideally, this issue should have been resolved earlier, but it is good that the central leadership is finally taking decisive action,” the leader noted on the condition of anonymity.
Alongside the appointment of a new state president, sweeping changes are also anticipated in the organizational structure of the Punjab Congress and the various committees constituted for the 2027 Assembly elections. With time running out, the incoming chief will face the monumental challenge of uniting the divided factions and mounting a formidable challenge to the ruling AAP administration.