Following one man-one post principle, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh has resigned as the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president.
“He has sent his resignation to the party high command,” AICC general secretary Birender Singh Chaudhary said. After assuming the CM’s office on December 25, Virbhadra had announced that he would quit the organisational post.
Virbhadra, 78, had taken over the reins of the party from Kaul Singh Thakur just before the assembly elections were announced. The party was grappling with intra-party squabbles that had almost diminished hopes of it returning to power.
Virbhadra led the Congress to victory despite the BJP’s slander campaign against him.
His resignation will only intensify the succession race.
It is learnt that Virbhadra is keen to re-appoint his loyalist, HPCC chief Harsh Mahajan while assembly speaker Gangu Ram’s name is also doing the rounds.