New Delhi: The Congress is banking on the concept of collective leadership in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh while trying to benefit from the legacy of former chief minister late Virbhadra Singh. The Congress recently rejigged its state team months ahead of the assembly polls and named Pratibha Singh, sitting MP and wife of the former chief minister, as the new Himachal Pradesh chief.
Mukesh Agnihotri was retained as the Congress Legislature Party leader while former state unit chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was made head of the campaign committee. The new team took office in the capital Shimla on Thursday where a large rally was also organized.
“The Gandhi family has given you a Trimurti, Rani Pratibha Singh, Mukesh Agnihotri, and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. You have to support them. And it will be their responsibility to bring the Congress back in the state,” AICC in-charge of Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla said while congratulating the new office bearers.
The message of collective leadership was loud and clear in Himachal Pradesh where the state unit had many claimants for the top party post including Agnihotri, Sukhu, Asha Kumari, RL Thakur, Harshwardhan Chauhan, and Dhaniram Shandil, but the high command zeroed in on Pratibha Singh, who represents the legacy of late Virbhadra Singh.
“The people know about the development works done by late Raja Virbhadraji…I never have to tell it to the people,” said Pratibha Singh.
She slammed the BJP over the lack of jobs and price rise. “PM Modi had promised 2 crore jobs per year. What happened to the promise,” she said.
Kuldeep Singh Rathore, the outgoing state unit chief who has now been made an AICC spokesperson also congratulated Pratibha Singh. Both Sukhu and Agnihotri blamed the state government for ignoring the voters over the past four and half years.
“Now, the people have stood up against the anti-people policies of the state government,” said Sukhu. “The CM has forgotten his promise to build highways and get new rail lines in the state. Women are not safe,” said Agnihotri.
The show of strength has given a leg up to the revamped Congress state unit but the challenge to defeat the BJP lies ahead. Besides, the emergence of AAP, which has become hopeful of expanding its footprint in the hill state following its recent sweep in neighboring Punjab, is another challenge before the grand old party. Keeping that in mind, Sonia Gandhi, in consultation with the AICC and state leaders had announced a jumbo team in the hill state.
Pratibha Singh will be assisted by four working presidents, Harsh Mahajan, Rajender Rana, Pawan Kajal, and Vinay Kumar. Jagat Singh Negi will be the chief whip in the assembly. Veteran Anand Sharma, who retired from the Rajya Sabha recently, will head the steering committee for the elections while senior leader Asha Kumari will be the convenor of the panel.
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