Former hockey captain Pargat Singh appointed Punjab Congress president
The appointment follows the resignation of Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, who blamed AICC Punjab in-charge Sachin Pilot for his exit.
The Congress on Friday appointed former India hockey captain and Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh as the new Punjab Congress president, according to The Indian Express.
The announcement occurred hours after Amrinder Singh Raja Warring stepped down from the position. Warring blamed AICC Punjab in-charge Sachin Pilot for his departure.
The 62-year-old Singh is a former Punjab Police officer who has represented Jalandhar Cantonment since 2012. He previously served as a Cabinet minister during the tenure of former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
Singh currently serves as the AICC secretary in charge of Jammu and Kashmir. He was a full-back for the Indian hockey team and captained the side at the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
His sporting career includes a bronze medal at the 1986 Asian Games and a silver at the 1990 Asian Games. He received the Arjuna Award in 1989 and the Padma Shri in 1998.
Singh entered politics in 2012 after winning the Jalandhar Cantonment seat on a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ticket. He later joined the Indian National Congress and won the same seat again in 2017 and 2022.