In a major blow to the Congress' hopes in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, party veteran Virbhadra Singh resigned on Thursday from all key party posts. The five-time chief minister could "go his own way" in the assembly elections to be held by November.
The trigger, according to sources close to Singh, is his exclusion from the screening committee formed for short-listing candidates for the polls. Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit was named as head of the panel.
HT learnt that Singh, 78, sent his resignation from the posts of chairman of the campaign committee and member of the manifesto and strategy panels to party president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday.
Taken aback, the central leadership stepped up efforts to persuade Singh, considered to be the party's biggest vote catcher in Himachal, to withdraw his resignation.
Singh was given the charge of party's campaign shortly after he quit as union minister on June 26 after a Shimla court ruled that charges be made out against him in a 23 year-old graft case.
The senior most MP in the current Lok Sabha, Singh made it known to the party that he was not willing to work under commerce minister Anand Sharma, several decades junior to him in politics.
What's more, Singh's supporters have been putting pressure on him to either float his own outfit or align with a regional front in the state, comprising prominent BJP rebels and smaller parties.
What is Singh unhappy about?
1. His exclusion from the important panel that shortlists party candidates for assembly elections.
2. Jumbo size of the campaign committee headed by him, in which at least six members, according to Singh, are no longer in active politics.
3. Being asked to work as a member of the manifesto committee headed by his junior in politics, commerce minister Anand Sharma.
4. Singh camp claims names on at least 35 seats in the 68-member assembly have already been finalised without consulting him.
5. He feels state party leadership has tried to sideline him systematically since he was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009.
What's more, Singh's supporters have been putting pressure on him to either float his own outfit or align with a regional front in the state, comprising prominent BJP rebels and smaller parties.
What is Singh unhappy about?
1. His exclusion from the important panel that shortlists party candidates for assembly elections.
2. Jumbo size of the campaign committee headed by him, in which at least six members, according to Singh, are no longer in active politics.
3. Being asked to work as a member of the manifesto committee headed by his junior in politics, commerce minister Anand Sharma.
4. Singh camp claims names on at least 35 seats in the 68-member assembly have already been finalised without consulting him.
5. He feels state party leadership has tried to sideline him systematically since he was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009.