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The resignation follows months of tension within the Punjab Congress, particularly between the camp supporting Raja Warring and leaders aligned with Channi.
Raja Warring is seen with Rahul Gandhi (File Photo)
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring returned to his Chandigarh residence after resigning as Punjab Congress president, bringing an end to his tenure as the party’s state unit chief.
Raja Warring submitted his resignation to Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal. The Congress is expected to announce his successor within the next 24 to 48 hours. The leadership change comes months before the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, with the party high command looking for a new state chief who can bridge the differences between rival factions.
Former minister Vijay Inder Singla emerged as one of the frontrunners for the post. Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa are also among those being considered, while former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and other senior leaders have figured in discussions over Raja Warring’s successor.
Why Did Raja Warring Resign?
The resignation follows months of tension within the Punjab Congress, particularly between the camp supporting Raja Warring and leaders aligned with Channi. The Congress had tried to balance the competing factions earlier this year by retaining Raja Warring as state president while appointing Channi as chairperson of the party’s campaign committee. The arrangement, however, failed to end the differences within the state unit.
A section of Punjab Congress leaders had been seeking Raja Warring’s removal, with the internal dispute becoming increasingly visible at party programmes and organisational meetings. The Congress’s new Punjab in-charge Sachin Pilot subsequently held meetings with leaders and workers and submitted a report to the party high command on the functioning of the state unit and the factionalism within it. Senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, K C Venugopal and Pilot, also discussed the Punjab situation. The high command eventually conveyed to Raja Warring that it wanted a change in the state leadership.
Who Could Replace Raja Warring?
Vijay Inder Singla is among the names being discussed most prominently for the post. Singla, a former minister and former MP, is a member of the Congress Working Committee and was appointed chairperson of the party’s election management and coordination committee in July.
Other names in contention include Pargat Singh, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and Charanjit Singh Channi. The final decision is expected shortly. The choice comes against the backdrop of the Congress’s attempt to rebuild its organisation before the 2027 Assembly polls and prevent the factionalism that has repeatedly affected its Punjab unit.
A Familiar Punjab Congress Problem
The latest leadership change is not the first time factionalism has disrupted the Congress in Punjab ahead of an election. In 2021, months before the Assembly elections, the party removed Amarinder Singh as chief minister following a prolonged conflict involving Navjot Singh Sidhu and the state leadership. Charanjit Singh Channi was subsequently made chief minister. The Congress went on to win 18 seats in the 2022 Assembly elections, down sharply from the 77 seats it had won in 2017. Raja Warring took charge of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee in April 2022, shortly after the party’s defeat in the 2022 elections.
Quick Answers
Ask News18Raja Warring submitted his resignation to Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, and the party is expected to announce his successor within 24 to 48 hours.
Ask News18Delhi, India, India
October 01, 2026, 09:48 IST
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