Himachal Pradesh CM frontrunner on ‘Congress mukt Bharat’ jibe, party's revival

After wresting power from the BJP in Himachal Pradesh, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu emerged as one of the Congress frontrunners for the post of chief minister of the hill state.

Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, former Himachal Pradesh Congress president, on Friday said the MLA selected by the party's high command would become the new chief minister of Himachal Pradesh.

The Congress on Thursday won 40 seats in the 68-member assembly in Himachal Pradesh.

After wresting power from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Himachal Pradesh, Sukhu emerged as one of the Congress frontrunners for the post of chief minister of the hill state. State party president Pratibha Singh is considered a key frontrunner for the chief minister's post, Sukhu and outgoing CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri.

"Whoever high command wants will be the chief minister, whoever has their blessings besides the discussions and suggestions of the MLAs," news agency ANI quoted Sukhu as saying while he was heading to Shimla for the Congress legislative party meeting at party state headquarters, Rajiv Bhawan in Himachal Pradesh.

"Every journalist has asked me earlier about the person under whose leadership we (Congress) would contest elections. I have said that it will be done under the collective leadership, the ideology is supreme and the post comes later. We will have a chief minister and the high command will make the one from those who had contested the Himachal Pradesh assembly election," Sukhu added.

The former state Congress chief claimed that the party's revival has begun from Himachal Pradesh.

“No ideology can be finished so soon. The Congress revival has begun from Himachal Pradesh. Important for the Congress to exist as the main Opposition party and the ruling party for the unity and integrity of the country. Time will tell if those who wanted to make it the ‘Congress mukt’ are themselves becoming ‘mukt’,” Sukhu said.

Meanwhile, Pratibha Virbhadra Singh, in a conversation with ANI, was seen hinting at her desire to be chosen as the chief minister as she said that the party cannot ignore the person (her husband- Virbhadra Singh) in whose name it contested the polls and won.

"They can't neglect his (Virbhadra Singh) family. We won on his name, face and work. It can't be the case that you use his name, face and family and then give all the credit to someone else. Even High Command won't do this," she had said.

Chhattisgarh chief minister and party's Himachal supervisor Bhupesh Baghel clarified that there was no question of neglecting anyone and the party would go on by taking everyone together.

State in-charge Rajeev Shukla, Vikramaditya Singh (MLA) and supervisors Bhupinder Hooda and Baghel were about to hold a meeting with the Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Singh and other leaders at a hotel in Shimla to decide upon the chief minister.

The Congress on Thursday won 40 seats in the 68-member assembly in the hill state which maintained its tradition of not voting any incumbent government to power since 1985.