With senior leaders gathering under one roof for the oath-taking ceremony of former Olympian and Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh as Punjab Congress chief at Punjab Congress Bhavan on Jattvibeday, the party sought to project a united face under its new leadership.The presence of senior leaders, led by AICC Punjab affairs in-charge Sachin Pilot, signalled collective backing for the new state chief. The transition, following the exit of Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, also carried a broader political message of a change of guard and a reset the party’s internal equations ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.Party leaders said the significance of the occasion extended beyond Pargat’s elevation. Warring’s departure, after a tenure marked by persistent factional tensions, remained the backdrop to the leadership transition.Even as sudden rain disrupted proceedings, a sizeable gathering of party workers continued raising slogans, providing the leadership with the optics of a cadre ready to move forward.The event, however, was not without drama. Before arriving at Punjab Congress Bhavan, Warring held a show of strength at a rented accommodation in Sector 10 and later made a dramatic entry with his supporters. The slogans raised by his camp were overshadowed when supporters of former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who arrived shortly afterwards, lifted him onto their shoulders at the venue.Targeting Pilot, Warring said: “Even if Pilot cuts my ticket, I will continue to strengthen the party. Some people had been opposing me, but only strong leaders face opposition. My leader is Rahul Gandhi.”Those present at the ceremony included Pilot, Warring, Channi, Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari, and senior leaders Brahm Mohindra and Rana KP Singh. AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal skipped the event owing to prior engagements in Delhi.Before formally assuming charge, Pargat said he was beginning his new journey on the first day of Navratri. Punjab’s issues and the aspirations of ordinary people, he said, would remain his top priorities. Accusing the AAP government of ruining the state, he alleged that the bureaucracy had become a tool of the ruling party and urged officials to perform their duties diligently.“I want to announce that I will practise clean politics and not indulge in vendetta politics,” he said.Pilot described Pargat as an experienced captain capable of leading the team and said the Congress aimed not merely to win elections but to strengthen its organisation.Sources said the key question before the party, however, was whether the new chief could usher in meaningful change or simply rearrange existing power centres.Bajwa said the Congress had the potential and leadership to return to power. “It is the Congress that can rebuild Punjab,” he said.