Ludhiana: Hockey Olympian-turned-politician Pargat Singh has been appointed president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), replacing Amarinder Singh Raja Warring.
It’s a crucial assignment for Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat, coming as it does months ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Warring, who announced his resigned as the Punjab Congress chief on September 30, handed over his resignation letter to Rahul Gandhi on October 2.
The 61-year-old Pargat Singh, who led India in the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, served as an SP in Punjab Police before taking the plunge in politics. He entered electoral politics ahead of the 2012 Punjab Assembly elections and contested the Jalandhar Cantonment seat on a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ticket. He won, and has represented Jalandhar Cantt continuously since then.
However, Pargat’s association with the SAD ended in 2016 when he was suspended by the party. He subsequently became associated with the Awaaz-e-Punjab front, which also included former cricketer and politician Navjot Singh Sidhu and other leaders.
Pargat later joined the Congress, and won from Jalandhar Cantt on a Congress ticket in the 2017 and 2022 Assembly elections.
In September 2021, Pargat was inducted into the Cabinet of then-Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi, and remained a minister until March 2022.
