The elevation of Deputy Speaker Vinay Kumar, a three-time MLA from the Renuka Ji Assembly constituency in the Sirmaur district, as Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee President on Saturday comes as a move to balance the caste, region and power politics within the Congress party in the state.
The appointment has been done after one year of dissolution of the HPCC. Vinay Kumar replaces former MP Pratibha Singh.
Vinay Kumar comes from the rival camp of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, as he is believed to be close to Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri. Earlier, Vinay Kumar and his father, six-time MLA Prem Kumar, were loyalists of former CM Virbhadra Singh.
Sources said Sukhu was, however, pushing the candidature of his loyalist Vinod Sultanpuri from Kasauli for the top post. Moreover, both CM and Deputy CM come from lower areas of the state, Sukhu from Hamirpur and Mukesh from Una.
Vinay Kumar, who resigned as Deputy Speaker immediately after his appointment as HPCC Chief, represents a reserved constituency in the Legislative Assembly.
He had already expressed his willingness to become the party chief before the high command earlier during several rounds of talks that occurred last November. It is pertinent to mention that now both Congress and BJP have their state President from Sirmaur – BJP chief Dr Rajiv Bindal, who lost the Assembly election this time, has represented Nahan in Sirmaur twice.
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