Amarinder Singh Raja Warring Resigns As Punjab Congress President: Report
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has resigned as Punjab Congress president amid persistent factional infighting, with the party expected to name his successor within 24 to 48 hours. Former minister Vijay Inder Singla is the frontrunner for the post alongside Pargat Singh and Sukhjinder Randhawa, as newly appointed in-charge Sachin Pilot prepares the unit for 2027 polls.
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has resigned as Punjab Congress president, sources in New Delhi said on Wednesday night, September 30, IANS reported citing sources, as the party moves to put its state unit in order roughly six months ahead of assembly elections. The Congress high command is expected to announce his successor within the next 24 to 48 hours, with former cabinet minister Vijay Inder Singla emerging as the leading contender. Jalandhar Cantonment MLA and former Indian hockey captain Pargat Singh, along with Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, are also in the race to succeed him.
Warring, who became the Ludhiana MP in 2024, had taken charge of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee in April 2022, just after a deeply fractious Punjab Congress faced a massive drubbing from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The internal divisions never fully subsided and escalated significantly in recent months as rival factions openly sparred over organizational control. Matthew VanDyke Released: Congress Questions Centre Over US National's Return.
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring Resigns As PPCC President
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has resigned from his post: Sources pic.twitter.com/KdlOpiUljI
— IANS (@ians_india) September 30, 2026
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring Resigns As Punjab Congress President
Warring was seen as the face of one faction, while the rival camp rallied behind Charanjit Singh Channi, who served as chief minister briefly after the Congress leadership removed Captain Amarinder Singh prior to the 2022 electoral loss following a rebellion led by Navjot Singh Sidhu. While Sidhu has since departed from party affairs, the pre-2022 infighting re-emerged with intensity, particularly after the central leadership opted to retain Warring as state chief in July.
The party's then central in-charge, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, was widely viewed within state circles as partisan toward Warring. The arrangement announced on July 1, where Warring continued as state president while Channi led the campaign committee, failed to resolve the discord. Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa opposed the structure, while Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, a prominent Jat Sikh leader, backed Channi, who represents the Dalit community.
Singla, a prominent Hindu leader from the Bania community who headed the election management committee and was previously considered for the top post in June-July, was also not on board with the previous arrangement. Meanwhile, Pargat Singh remained largely neutral amidst the competing factions.
As rival shows of strength made headlines across Punjab and nationally, the Congress central leadership initiated decisive structural interventions in September. On September 5, the high command appointed Sachin Pilot as the party's Punjab in-charge, replacing Baghel. Pilot, a former Rajasthan deputy chief minister and AICC general secretary who had handled Chhattisgarh since late 2023, was tasked with restoring unity.
When Pilot landed in Chandigarh, leaders across the factional divide welcomed his arrival. "Heartfelt thanks to the Congress Party High Command for this important decision," Channi wrote on X. Warring similarly welcomed Pilot while thanking Baghel for his guidance. Pilot’s initial engagement was marked by a joint protest rally where all major state leaders presented a united front.
Electoral Landscape Ahead of Early 2027 Battle
Assembly elections in Punjab are scheduled for early 2027, presenting the Congress with a complex multi-cornered political landscape. The party faces the incumbent AAP administration led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Concurrently, a potential electoral alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) remains in discussions, while the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) associated with jailed MP Amritpal Singh is also contesting the political space. To initiate the party's campaign and establish grassroots momentum, Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to undertake a comprehensive bus tour across the state.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 30, 2026 11:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
