Punjab Congress Leader Raja Warring meets Rahul Gandhi, submits resignation

Punjab Congress leader Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Friday met Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and submitted his resignation as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), amid a leadership change in the state unit.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Warring said Rahul Gandhi enquired about the situation in Punjab, including the functioning of the state government and the Congress organisation.

“He gave me a lot of love. He sought information about the situation in Punjab, what is happening with the government, and what we should do. I shared with him my four-and-a-half years of experience as the state president — how we have to fight those challenges and where our strengths are. There was this entire discussion with him,” Warring said.

Before meeting Rahul Gandhi, Warring had said, “I am going to meet the boss. I have always said what’s in my heart to Rahul-ji.”

Warring’s resignation follows days of uncertainty over the leadership of the Punjab Congress. He had changed his social media bio on Thursday to “Former PPCC President”, signalling his exit from the post. His resignation was also reported after the Congress high command decided to replace him, according to reports citing party sources.

The Congress has not yet formally announced Warring’s successor. Several names have been reported as being under consideration, including Vijay Inder Singla, Pargat Singh, Rana KP Singh and Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria.

Warring, who represents Ludhiana in the Lok Sabha, took charge as Punjab Congress president in April 2022. His exit comes as the party works to address differences within its state unit and reorganise the organisation ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.

The Congress leadership has been consulting Punjab leaders amid continuing differences within the state unit. Newly appointed Punjab affairs in-charge Sachin Pilot has also held discussions with state leaders as part of the organisational exercise.