A report submitted by Sachin Pilot to the Congress high command in Delhi, referring to Amarinder Singh Raja Warring’s functioning and the wider factionalism in Punjab, cleared the way for his resignation as the state unit president, senior party sources said on Wednesday. Warring has submitted his resignation to the leadership, and a new Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president is expected to be named in the next 24 to 48 hours, NDTV has learnt.
The party lost badly, and Navjot Singh Sidhu made way for Warring to become state unit chief. He also toured Punjab and took feedback from every faction and the non-aligned leaders. The Congress leadership had expressly directed Pilot to resolve the disputes and discontent in the state unit. Former minister Vijay Inder Singla is seen as the frontrunner, with Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa also in the race. The arrangement did not satisfy Channi or the leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Partap Singh Bajwa.
Sachin Pilot, who was appointed the party’s Punjab in-charge on September 5 by replacing Bhupesh Baghel, held separate meetings in Delhi with all state leaders and discussed their grievances, sources said. Charanjit Singh Channi, a Dalit, represented a rare departure on caste lines when he was made chief minister, after an internal rebellion against Captain Amarinder Singh before the 2022 elections. The high command had announced on July 1 that Warring would continue as state president, with Channi heading the campaign committee and Singla the election management committee. Baghel, who had held the Punjab charge since February 2025, had favoured retaining Warring. He was moved to Assam in the September 5 reshuffle.
Pilot’s report led to the green light for a change, sources said.
