Fighting factionalism in a poll year, the Congress has set up an eight-member committee to oversee its campaign for the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) elections this month-end.
The move comes a day after eight legislators and 12 councillors of a 42-member coordination committee skipped a crucial meeting convened by All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Himachal Pradesh affairs Rajeev Shukla.
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The SMC elections are being seen as a precursor to the assembly elections this year-end. The Congress has ruled the SMC for more than 25 years till the Communist Party of India (Marxist) scripted history in 2012 by winning the posts of mayor and deputy mayor. In the 2017 municipal elections, the BJP won 19 seats, defeating the Congress that bagged 12 seats. The BJP got the support of two independent members to form the municipal corporation.
The coordination committee meeting held two days ago comprised 42 members, including 17 legislators, eight of who skipped the meeting. Three members of Shimla district, namely Rohit Thakur, Anirudh Singh and Vikramaditya Singh, were conspicuous by their absence.
A section owing allegiance to Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu is keen that he be appointed as the state party chief ahead of the elections, while the leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri is also a frontrunner. However, both the factions have urged the high command to replace incumbent Kuldeep Singh Rathore before the assembly elections.
{{/usCountry}}A section owing allegiance to Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu is keen that he be appointed as the state party chief ahead of the elections, while the leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri is also a frontrunner. However, both the factions have urged the high command to replace incumbent Kuldeep Singh Rathore before the assembly elections.
{{/usCountry}}Rathore replaced Sukhu in 2019 and was considered close to former Rajya Sabha member Anand Sharma but later he shifted his loyalties to Virbhadra Singh’s camp. Virbhadra Singh’s widow Pratibha Singh, who won the Mandi Lok Sabha byelections last year, is vying for the party post, too; Others include senior Congress legislator Harshwardhan Chauhan, Ram Lal Thakur and Dhani Ram Shandil. “There is a lack of enthusiasm among the leaders; the high command is still not decided on the leader’s issue. Whatever is decided should be implement at the earliest,” said a senior Congress MLA requesting anonymity.
The eight-member committee constituted for the Shimla MC elections includes Rathore, Agnihotri, Sukhu, state Congress vice-president Harsh Mahajan, Jubbal Kotkhai legislator Rohit Thakur, Kasumpti legislator Anirudh Singh Shimla Rural MLA Vikramaditya Singh and the party’s general secretary, organization, Rajnish Kimta. Besides the former, the heads of the frontal organisation will be special invitees.