The Indian National Congress has appointed former Indian hockey team captain and Jalandhar Cantonment lawmaker Pargat Singh as the new president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) in an effort to resolve months of internal infighting within the state unit.

The decision comes immediately following the resignation of outgoing state chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, who stepped down after meeting senior party leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.

The high command approved the leadership change following consultations led by Sachin Pilot, the party's in-charge for Punjab affairs, who met with various state factions and party functionaries. Party sources say Singh was selected as a consensus candidate who is widely acceptable across internal factions while maintaining key caste and regional dynamics. 

Singh, an Olympian and former police officer who joined the Congress in December 2016, takes charge ahead of upcoming state assembly elections. His primary challenge will be to unite party factions and reactivate the cadre across the state.