Shimla: Jolted by deep factionalism, cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections, and a subsequent defeat in the parliamentary polls, the Congress high command has stepped up its efforts to find a new chief for its state unit (PCC) and revive the party’s dormant organisational structure in Himachal Pradesh, ahead of the upcoming panchayat and local body elections.
The party has summoned its top leaders, including Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri, and PCC president Pratibha Singh, to Delhi for a crucial meeting to evolve a consensus on the new party president in place of Pratibha Singh, wife of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
Three senior ministers—Harshvardhan Chauhan, Rohit Thakur, and Anirudh Singh—have also been invited to attend the meeting in Delhi, which will also be attended by AICC in-charge Rajni Patil, a Rajya Sabha member.
“The dissolution followed repeated signs of factionalism, internal discord, and organisational inertia within the PCC, especially after the Rajya Sabha elections in February 2024, in which cross-voting by Congress MLAs led to defeat for the party’s candidate, exposing deep internal divisions,” a former PCC president said.
Ever since then, the organisational structure of the party has remained in shambles, despite persistent lobbying by Singh to put the party structure in shape and end the demoralisation of the Congress workers.
Now, with Panchayat elections and urban local bodies also slated to witness elections this year, the party high command wants to appoint a new state party president, who could carry on the task to rejuvenate the party and build up the Congress structure.
But this is not the first time the party high command has initiated dialogue with leaders for forming a fresh organisational setup. Earlier, Rajni Patil had met party leaders in Shimla to seek their views on reconstituting the PCC and its district and block units.
Patil herself admitted that the PCC had become “paralysed” and emphasised that while Congress remains strong in HP, its organisational structure urgently needs strengthening.
Here too, the exercise got stuck in factionalism, with the CM proposing his loyalists for PCC chief. His suggested names include Anirudh Singh, which could allow a cabinet reshuffle to induct one or two of his aides.
If the choice falls on someone from the SC category, Ayush Minister Yadvinder Goma—also from Kangra—is a potential name. However, he is unwilling to relinquish his cabinet berth.
Sanjay Awasthi, another CM loyalist, is also in the race. Deputy CM Agnihotri opposes these choices and prefers someone from his camp—such as Deputy Speaker Viney Kumar—or for Pratibha Singh to continue.
Other names doing the rounds include first-time MLA Suresh Kumar and Kasauli’s Vinod Sultanpuri—son of former PCC chief and Virbhadra loyalist. Suresh is seen as close to the CM.