Pargat Singh meets Dhadrianwale as Congress turns to Malwa’s 69 seats

Patiala. Punjab Congress president Pargat Singh on Saturday met Sikh preacher Bhai Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale at Gurdwara Parmeshar Dwar Sahib near Patiala. The visit is part of the party’s effort to build support in Malwa, which has 69 of Punjab’s 117 Assembly seats and will largely decide who forms the next government in 2027.

The Punjab Congress said the two talked about the current situation in the state, social issues and ideas for Punjab’s betterment. Vijay Inder Singla, chairman of the party’s election management and coordination committee, was with Pargat Singh.

Dhadrianwale has a strong base between Patiala and Sangrur, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district. He is one of Punjab’s most followed preachers, and his YouTube channel has 3 million subscribers.

This is Pargat Singh’s third visit to a major religious centre since he took charge in October. Last month, he met Sant Niranjan Dass, chief of Dera Sachkhand Ballan, which has a huge Ravidassia following in Doaba. On November 1, he met Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon, head of Radha Soami Satsang Beas. In six weeks, he has now covered Doaba, Majha and Malwa.

The visits come alongside the party’s two new mass contact drives. The ‘Punjab Mangda Insaaf’ campaign began on November 11. Pargat Singh said the Congress would use it to talk directly with people across Punjab and understand the problems and expectations of different sections of society. The party will hold special public outreach programmes in Malwa, Majha and Doaba, and five to six senior leaders will lead the campaign in different regions.

A day later, the party started its ‘Jawani Sambhal’ cycle yatra from Chamkaur Sahib with Punjab in-charge Sachin Pilot and former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. The yatra will take the party’s message on drugs, gangster culture and crime to Punjab’s youth.

The ruling AAP has already named candidates for 71 of the 117 seats. Pargat Singh said on Friday that the Congress was “taking our time to assess everything carefully.” He said, “We will liberate Punjab from these looters.”