Indecision of the Congress high command to declare the new Congress President in Himachal Pradesh has not gone down well with the party cadres in the state, who are waiting for the chief for over one year now.
The whole executive of the Pradesh Congress Committee Chief was dissolved last year, while party chief Pratibha Singh was retained as such — she did not, however, have anybody to rely on for the party work on the ground. And although Pratibha Singh, being the wife of former six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, comes from a rival camp of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, her inactive state in the party, without any executive, reportedly suits the present CM more than anyone else.
Various names have been doing rounds for the top party post in Himachal Pradesh, including some all-time rivals of the CM, especially Congress MLA from Theog in Shimla district and former party president Kuldeep Rathore, who is being considered a front runner now.
The names of Deputy Speaker of the HP Assembly and MLA from Sri Renukaji in Sirmaur district Vinay Kumar, Education Minister Rohit Thakur from Jubbal in Shimla district, MLA from Palampur in Kangra district Ashish Butail, and MLA from Kasauli in Solan district Vinod Sultanpuri are also in the zone of consideration according to party sources.
Congress sources said there have been several rounds of meetings in the corridors of the Congress high command in Delhi over the last few months, with the participation of Chief Minister Sukhu, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, and party chief Pratibha Singh, without any solution so far.
Sources said Kuldeep Rathore, who remained the party president in Himachal earlier also, is close to the high command and has already given his mind that he would go by the Congress high command’s decision. However, the camp headed by the CM may not be very keen on his elevation.
Vinay Kumar and Ashish Butail reportedly come from Mukesh Agnihotri’s camp, while Rohit Thakur and Vinod Sultanpuri are believed to be confidants of Sukhu. Rohit may have to quit the cabinet berth if he becomes the party chief.
“The high command is aware of everything and may take the decision accordingly.” This is what Sukhu has spoken a number of times over the last year. Sukhu’s effort would be to have one of his loyalists at the top party post in the run-up to the 2027 Assembly polls to have a major say in ticket distribution.
Pratibha Singh, on the other hand, has hinted that anyone on the party post should have a good standing in the party.
Yet loyalists apart, the Congress high command may have to do an exercise to balance the regional and caste calculations — which seems difficult at the moment, with Kangra, the biggest district with 15 Assembly constituencies (ten seats with Congress), having just two ministers in the cabinet.
The CM’s wife, Kamlesh Thakur, however, won the by-election from Dehra in Kangra last year, which has brought some focus to the area, but that’s only in one constituency. Party sources hence said the appointment of the Congress President may also facilitate the need for a cabinet reshuffle, with Shimla district having got more precedence in the cabinet — having seven out of eight seats.
“Whosever they want to appoint, they should do it early. Right from the beginning, since Congress came into power in Himachal Pradesh, the party cadres are inactive. Since last year, there has been a complete vacuum. The ruling party always needs checks and balances from within- But here the government is doing what it wants, and there is none from the party to check it or suggest. The indifference of the Congress high command is damaging the party prospects in the state in the run up to the 2027 Assembly elections--- with BJP working hard in the field and Congress cadres staying out of touch,” said some senior Congress leaders.
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