The celebration of two years of the Congress government at Bilaspur on December 11 showcased government’s achievements elaborately, but simultaneously exposed internal tensions in the ruling party when state Congress President Pratibha Singh publicly expressed displeasure on being asked to end her speech within a few minutes after she started.
Singh, who was speaking about the role of party organisation in bringing the Congress to power in Himachal Pradesh, was suddenly interrupted by former Congress MLA from Bilaspur, Bamber Thakur, on the podium, who asked her to cut short her address. Angry over this, the state Congress President reverted on the stage itself.
“This is not the way. If you don’t want me to speak much, then I am not taking too long. I just want to emphasise that our government has been formed because of the hard work and efforts of the party organisation. We should strengthen the organisation,” she said. She also referred to the positive role of central leader and party in-charge, Rajiv Shukla in strengthening the organisation during critical moments.
Singh finished immediately and then reverted to the former Congress MLA again on the stage and snubbed him loudly, “Aisey ni hota”.
Earlier in her address, state Congress president, Pratibha Singh criticised the Central government for neglecting Himachal Pradesh in the hour of need during the worst ever natural disaster in 2023. She said the state BJP leaders did not support the state’s claim of a special relief package from the Centre, which speaks volumes about their priorities.
Pratibha Singh has been talking about the need to accommodate the Congressmen from the party organisation in the Congress government over the last two years. She had raised the same point during the political crisis that the Congress government headed by Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu faced earlier this year.
“If the party workers, who worked hard to bring Congress to power in Himachal Pradesh, are not given precedence in the government, then what is the motivation left?” she had mentioned then. This even became the reason for her not to contest the Parliament election in 2024 from Mandi even being a sitting MP, although after patch up attempts by the party high command, her son, PWD minister, Vikramaditya Singh had contested the Lok Sabha poll from her seat. He had lost the election to celebrity turned politician, Kangana Ranaut of BJP.
Recently, the Pradesh Congress Committee was dissolved by the party high command for reconstitution, yet Pratibha Singh continues to hold the position of party chief in Himachal.
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