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Congress workers vent ire on party’s leadership in HP
Party workers claimed that leaders were enjoying power, while foot soldiers who struggled for the party over the years were ignored
Almost a fortnight after the Congress organised ‘Chintan Shivir’, a three-day brainstorming session to revive the party, workers in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday openly vented their ire against what they called lopsided appointments.
Party workers claimed that leaders were enjoying power, while foot soldiers who struggled for the party over the years were ignored. There are 17 office-bearers in Pradesh Congress committee only from Jubbal and Kotkhai assembly segments. Himachal Congress chief Pratibha Singh had given prominence to Shimla district while making appointments for the Pradesh Congress committee.
More than half a dozen MLAs even skipped the meeting, including the chairperson of the Congress campaign committee, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu.
Among those who skipped the meeting were senior Congress leader and Dalhousie MLA Asha Kumari, Kinnaur legislator Jagat Singh Negi, Kangra MLA Pawan Kajal, who is also the working president of the party, Jubbal Kotkhai MLA Rohit Thakur, Kullu legislator Sunder Singh Thakur, Una MLA Satpal Singh Raizada, and Nalagarh legislator Lakhwinder Singh Rana.
Pradesh Congress committee has organised a two-day workshop at its headquarters Rajiv Bhawan in Shimla to apprise the party workers’ leaders and office-bearers of the outcome of the ‘Nav Chintan Shivir’.
The members of the executive and other office-bearers openly expressed their resentment and displeasure.
A member of the state executive, Sharmila Patial, lamented that the party was giving more preference to workers owing loyalty to individual leaders. Some of the party workers also expressed displeasure over the appointment. The Congress, while expanding the Pradesh Congress committee, gave more preference to small-time leaders from Rohru, Jubbal Kotkhai, and Theog assembly segments. Most of the key posts in the party were given to the leaders from the Shimla district. Of the 41 secretaries appointed in the Congress, seven were appointed from the Rohru assembly segment.
HP Congress chief Pratibha Singh has called upon the officials to unite and boost the morale of party workers. On the second day of the two-day workshop of state congress working committee members and office-bearers on Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir, Pratibha said that everyone will have to give a befitting reply to the BJP’s propaganda.
Party office-bearer openly conveyed that their rival parties the BJP and the AAP were far ahead in poll preparations and the Congress needed to learn from them.
Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri in his address said that the Congress will move ahead with the resolutions and decisions passed in Chintan Shivir organised in Udaipur.
Agnihotri said that the BJP was misusing government money in the state to organise its rallies. He said whatever the BJP does, the Congress has won the by-elections and will also win the upcoming assembly polls.
He also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Shimla visit. He expressed surprise that Modi did not announce anything for Himachal whereas there was no mention of the promises made ahead of assembly elections.
“It was surprising that the chief minister did not present any demand before the prime minister,” he added.
Earlier, All India Congress Committee secretary Sanjay Dutt, Gurkeerat Singh Kotli and Tajendra Pal Singh Bittu had also called upon the party functionaries to come forward unitedly and strengthen the hands of state president Pratibha Singh.
