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Uneasy calm in HP Cong after Virbhadra Singh’s death
The veteran leader’s death has not just left a deep void in state politics but has brought the Congress at a crossroads ahead of the 2022 assembly polls
While the BJP is gunning for the four byelections to be held in Himachal, the Congress is struggling to get its act together after the death of former six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh – one of the party’s tallest leaders.
The veteran leader’s death has not just left a deep void in state politics but has brought the Congress at a crossroads ahead of the 2022 assembly polls. After the 87-year-old scion of the Rampur-Bushahr royal family succumbed to post-Covid complications on July 8, infighting within the party intensified with different groups engaging in a covert struggle to take over the reins. Singh, whose career spanned across six decades, was said to be the party’s binding force, though a small faction remained opposed to him.
Leaders vie for top posts
While the party’s high command has not indicated that it wants to replace the incumbent state chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore – who was once a loyalist of the deputy leader of the Congress in Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, but had later switched sides – it is learnt that Congress legislature party leader Mukesh Agnihotri is keenly vying for the post of Pradesh Congress Committee president, as is Naina Devi legislator Ram Lal Thakur.
Former minister Harsh Mahajan who was a close aide of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, and former urban development minister Sudhir Sharma are also lobbying for the post, while the names of five-time legislator Harshwardhan Chauhan and Congress senior leader Asha Kumari are also doing rounds.
A person in the know of the party’s internal affairs, requesting anonymity, has said that the party could appoint Shimla rural legislator Vikramaditya Singh as the working president. Sanjay Dutt, the party’s co-in charge in Himachal Pradesh, has already given his feedback on the state of affairs in Himachal to the high command.
Recently, GS Bali, a senior leader from Kangra and former transport minister had created ripples in the party circle by demanding that the next projected chief minister should be from the biggest district of the state.
A few legislators including former Pradesh Congress Party chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and senior leader Dhani Ram Shandil are vying for the post of Congress legislature party leader.
BJP sprints ahead in campaigning
The party is also lagging behind in its campaign for the byelections, while the Jai Ram Thakur-led government has gone into election mode. Thakur recently visited Jubbal-Kotkhai and announced a sub-divisional office for the Jubbal and Kotkhai . The seat fell vacant after the demise of the former horticulture minister Narinder Bragta. Though the party is yet to officially announce its candidates, it has already projected Narendra’s son Chetan as its candidate. Former chief parliamentary secretary, Rohit Thakur, the grandson of former chief minister Thakur Ram Lal is touring Jubbal-Kotkhai but so far, no senior leaders have shared the dais with him.
The party is also weighing its options for the Arki Vidhan Sabha seat that fell vacant after the death of Virbhadra Singh. It is likely that his wife, former Lok Sabha member Pratibha Singh, will contest from the segment. A few local leaders such as Rajendra Singh Thakur, son of former minister Hari Dass, and Mahila Congress chief Jenab Chandel, both from Arki, held closed-door meetings with Pratibha Singh. Virbhadra Singh’s core group is projecting Pratibha Singh as its successor. Congress Chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore has already made it clear that in Arki and Mandi parliamentary seats the party would give preference to Virbhadra Singh’s family members.
