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After Punjab, Uttarakhand rout, Cong bosses wary of infighting in HP
There has been a power vacuum in the HP Congress since the death of six-time CM Virbhadra Singh, who was known for his deft handling of the party as well as his rivals
After Congress’ assembly poll debacle in Punjab and Uttarakhand, the party high command is concerned that factionalism within the party may hurt its chances to win in Himachal Pradesh as well.
There has been a power vacuum in the party since the death of six-time chief minister (CM) Virbhadra Singh, who was known for his deft handling of the party as well as his rivals. The Grand Old Party has a battery of second-generation leaders – including All India Congress Committee secretary Asha Kumari, leader of opposition Mukesh Agnihotri, former state president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, legislators Harshwardhan Chauhan, Ram Lal Thakur and Sudhir Sharma – but none of them enjoy the royal scion’s cult following.
The state leaders have been raging a covert war against each other to capture the top spot since the stalwart leader’s demise, which could spell doom for the party. After all, the rivalry between former chief minister (CM) Charanjit Singh Channi, and former state party president Navjot Singh Sidhu and differences between former CM Harish Rawat and other state leaders is being blamed for the party’s humiliating defeat in Punjab and Uttarakhand, respectively.
Race for the top spot
With Kumari, Agnihotri, Sukhu, Chauhan and Thakur vying for the position of the party’s state chief, there have several demands to remove the incumbent president, Kuldeep Singh Rathore, from his seat.
Meanwhile, Shimla rural legislator Vikramaditya Singh is hoping to take his father Virbhadra Singh’s legacy forward, as is his mother, Mandi MP Pratibha Singh. Congress’ win in Mandi is largely attributed to the sympathy wave for Virbhadra Singh.
The party cadre had been upbeat after winning the bypolls in the Mandi parliamentary segment, and Jubbal-Kotkhai, Fatehpur and Arki assembly segments, but the recent election results have demoralised them.
Former Union minister Anand Sharma could have been the unanimous choice, but he has fallen out of favour with the Gandhi family as he was among the leaders who wrote to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, demanding an “effective leadership.”
Five-time legislator Harshwardhan Chauhan, the senior-most Congress leader from Sirmaur district , which is a part of the old Himachal that has remained a strong bastion of the grand old party, also holds considerable sway.
“The Congress high command has been seeking reports and feedback from its state in-charge Rajeev Shulka and co-incharges Sanjay Dutt and Tejinder Pal Singh Bittu. AIIC interim president Sonia Gandhi recently held a meeting where change in leadership, revamping the organisation and the timely declaration of candidates were discussed.A road map for the state was also prepared.”said a leader.
The leader, requesting anonymity, said the Congress lacks clarity, and confusion prevails in the state unit.
Regional divide
In Himachal Pradesh’s electoral politics, regional divide is a dominant factor. Kangra, the most populous district, has the reputation of being a kingmaker as it sends 15 legislators to the 68-member assembly.
“Kangra plays a significant role in state politics. Its political influence cannot be ignored,” says former Himachal Congress Committee president and Rajya Sabha member Viplove Thakur.
The Congress will have to win the maximum number of seats from Kangra if it wants to return to power in the hill state. However, Virbhadra Singh and former minister GS Bali, who was known for his political acumen, no more, it will be a daunting task for the Congress.
Age another hurdle
Senior Congress leaders such as Viplove Thakur, Chandresh Kumari and Chaudhary Chander Kumar and Kaul Singh Thakur are already on the wrong side of age.
AICC secretary Sudhir Sharma, who was once considered an emerging leader, hurt his credibility after he refused to contest the 2019 by-election from his home turf Dharamshala. The Congress was pushed to third place in the election, and its candidate had to forfeit his deposit. Also, the Dharamshala unit is a divided house where his own party may create hurdles for Sharma, who has become active in the region over the past few months.
The Congress has a range of young leaders such as Palampur legislator Ashish Butail and Pawan Kajal, but they lack the experience to lead the party’s campaign.
Bali’s son Raghubir Singh Bali, who is also an AICC secretary, is yet to enter electoral politics, and it remains to be seen whether he will succeed in fulfilling the expectations of people of his constituency.
