Though the constitution of Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) has already been delayed for nearly nine months due to war of one-upmanship between Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and HPCC President Pratibha Singh, the Congress High Commands still seems to be weighing options.
The All India Congress Committee had dissolved the HPCC in November 2024 for strengthening the HPCC and only HPCC President Pratibha Singh was allowed to continue.
After the installation of Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government in Himachal Pradesh the reported ‘tug of war ‘has been going on between CM Sukhu and Congress group of six time former CM Virbhadra Singh, and after the death of Virbhadra Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh had won crucial Mandi parliament by-election in 2021 by defeating BJP candidate Kushal Thakur, while BJP was ruling the state.
Pratibha Singh’s win became an important factor for Congress’s coming to power during the 2022 Assembly election in Himachal in which BJP lost power to Congress.
After Sukhu became HP Chief Minister the equation changed in the state as the CM tried to establish his supremacy in the government and the Congress organization.
Since late Virbhadra Singh has long held control of the state government and the party and his legacy has been used by the Congress to garner votes in elections, Pratibha Singh and Virbhadra Singh loyalists have been demanding share in the government and the party.
While the Congress High has adopted a wait and watch situation to maintain a balance between the two groups but functioning of HPCC had badly suffered.
With the discussion with party High Command Pratibha Singh has emphasized, “Virbhadra Singh has strong mass appeal among the people of the state to capitalize on his legacy his loyalists should be accommodated in state government and the Congress organization; the delay in constituting the HPCC has harmed the Congress in the state.”
She said, “The HPCC should be headed by a heavyweight party leader.”
On the other hand, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu once stressed on having a leader from a weaker section or a Cabinet Minister to head HPCC for maintaining a balance.
The Congress High Command seems to weigh all options as Panchayat and local elections are due in December and to make the HPCC functional .
