Vijay Inder Singla Tipped to Replace Raja Warring as Punjab Congress Chief

Former Punjab minister Vijay Inder Singla has reportedly emerged as the frontrunner to replace Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, as the Congress high command moves to end weeks of factional infighting in the state unit ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

According to PTI, citing party sources, the high command has informed Warring of its decision to replace him, following which he has offered to resign. The development comes a day after Raja Warring resigned as Punjab Congress president amid infighting in the state unit. The leadership change was discussed by Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal and Punjab in-charge Sachin Pilot at a recent meeting, the agency reported. An announcement is expected soon.

Why Singla is the frontrunner

Singla, a former MP from Sangrur and a minister in earlier Congress governments in Punjab, is a member of the Congress Working Committee and was appointed chairperson of the party's election management and coordination committee on July 1. Party sources describe him as a prominent Hindu face who could take both the Warring and Channi camps along — a quality the high command is said to prize after months of open factionalism in the state unit.

The names of Jalandhar Cantonment MLA and former Olympian Pargat Singh, former MLA Rana K.P. Singh, Raja Sansi MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa are also doing the rounds for the post, according to reports.

The factionalism behind the change

The decision follows organisational feedback gathered by Sachin Pilot, who took charge as the AICC general secretary in charge of Punjab on September 5, replacing Bhupesh Baghel. Pilot held discussions with senior office-bearers and more than 50 state leaders as part of an assessment of the organisation ahead of the 2027 polls, and the feedback formed part of a report submitted to the high command. Differences in the Punjab unit erupted into the open after Warring was retained as PCC chief on July 1, with supporters of Channi pressing the high command for a change in state leadership.

Singla plays it down

Singla himself has played down the speculation, describing himself as a “loyal soldier” of the party. Asked by reporters whether he would become the next state president, he said there was no such issue to his knowledge and stressed that Warring remains the state president, with Congress leaders and workers working under his leadership. “Whatever responsibility the party has given me, I have fulfilled it, and I will continue to work for the organisation in the same manner,” he said.

If appointed, Singla would take charge of a party trying to project unity just months before an election in which the Congress hopes to unseat the ruling AAP. Warring, the Ludhiana MP who took over the PPCC in April 2022, led the party to seven of Punjab's 13 Lok Sabha seats in 2024 — a performance the high command credited him for, even as internal rivals questioned his leadership.