Chandigarh/Amritsar
 
A public show of strength at the airport, a multi-faith religious outreach, and repeated calls for unity marked Punjab Congress’ newly-appointed president Pargat Singh’s first visit to the state on Thursday, as the party sought to project a united face ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
 
Pargat, who replaced Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief on October 3, arrived at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport around 9 am with Punjab Congress in-charge Sachin Pilot. A large gathering of party leaders and workers greeted them with drums and slogans. Pilot driving Pargat’s car to the Golden Temple added to the optics of unity.
 
But Pargat sought to keep politics out of the day’s religious programme. At the Golden Temple, he said he had come to offer “shukrana” and seek Guru Sahib’s blessings. “Today is not a day for politics. I will certainly do politics, but after a day or two,” he said, adding that Congress did not believe in the politics of hatred or confrontation.
 
Pargat’s itinerary itself carried a wider political message. After paying obeisance at the Golden Temple, he visited the Durgiana Temple, St Paul Church and Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthan. The programme also included Dera Ballan. He is scheduled to visit Mata Chintpurni in Himachal Pradesh on Friday.
 
The multi-faith outreach conveyed a message of secularism, harmony and inclusiveness. He stressed Congress’s commitment to the Constitution and Punjabiyat.
 
The timing is significant. With the 2027 election campaign taking shape, AAP and BJP have intensified outreach. AAP has promoted ‘Hamare Ram’, senior-citizen tirath yatra (pilgrimages), and ‘Shiv Mahima’, while BJP has maintained contact with deras, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Dera Ballan.
 
Congress’s decision to begin Pargat’s tenure with visits to shrines representing different communities carries an electoral subtext as parties seek to expand their appeal among Hindu voters.
 
Pilot identified drug abuse and corruption among Punjab’s major challenges and called for collective efforts to accelerate development. He said Congress leaders from all districts and constituencies would work together under Rahul Gandhi and said the party would seek a majority in 2027.
 
Pargat, a former Indian hockey captain and three-time Jalandhar Cantonment MLA, reinforced the team message. “Punjab is our target, and the Congress is the vehicle to achieve that goal,” he said, calling himself a team player and stressing that the party had space for everyone.
 
His emphasis on unity came after his meeting with Warring in Delhi. Pargat said Congress was united and differences of opinion were part of democracy. He maintained that the party would fight the 2027 elections together.
 
The unity projection came against visible absences. Warring, Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi were not part of the Amritsar programme as they were participating in a Rahul Gandhi-led protest in Delhi seeking the Chief Election Commissioner’s removal.
 
Senior leaders, including former Deputy Chief Minister OP Soni, former Minister Raj Kumar Verka, former MLAs Sukhwinder Singh Danny and Inderbir Singh Bolaria, accompanied Pargat. Verka said the leadership would work for Punjab’s welfare, while Bolaria called the gathering a sign of unity.
 
Pargat is likely to hold a meeting with the Punjab Congress leadership in Mohali as part of his initial engagements. He had urged workers to avoid large gatherings and ensure devotees were not inconvenienced.
 
For a leader beginning a new innings in a party that has struggled with factionalism, Thursday’s message was clear: first unity, then the election battle.