Soni puts up united face

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 25

Himachal Pradesh Congress party affairs in charge and senior Congress leader Ambika Soni today pushed the ongoing political tussle between the HPCC president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in deep freeze, saying that the “mission repeat” of the Congress would be accomplished under the “able and experienced leadership of Virbhadra Singh and there would be no major changes in the HPCC”.

Ambika Soni formally made this announcement here at the press conference which was attended by Virbhadra Singh, Sukhu and Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur, the second most senior Congress leader. Soni presented a united face of the Congress to take on the BJP and quell the “political turmoil and rebellion which has been brewing up in the party for the recent past”.

The tussle between Sukhu and Virbhadra Singh has been going on the social media and among Congress cadre who have been debating whether “there would be a change in the PCC and the Congress would keep the option of its leader open till next year”, considering that the BJP, main opposition party here, has also kept the leadership question open in its bid to rope in the strength of BJP senior leaders Shanta Kumar and the Leader of the Opposition PK Dhumal to achieve its mission “50 plus” in the coming Assembly elections and oust the Congress.

Soni told media persons that Virbhadra Singh would lead the Congress party to victory in the coming state Assembly elections and all the party was behind him. “Virbhadra Singh is able and most experienced leader in the state and there is no question of a major change in the state party leadership. Party high command has a full faith in the state government and the PCC”, Soni claimed.

Soni claimed the Congress government had already fulfilled 90 per cent of the promises made in the 2012 election manifesto and rest of the 10 per cent would be fulfilled by December when the government would complete its four years in office.

Speaking on the occasion Virbhadra Singh said that the statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mandi ‘Parivaratan rally’ was uncalled for and baseless and his announcement that the Centre would give Rs 72,000 crore was exaggerated and the state has received just two installments under the 14th Finance Commission.

Virbhadra Singh ducked a media query on a letter written to the party high command, which said that the PCC had elected office-bearers who were rootless and had no mass base.

Sukhu clarified that Virbhadra Singh was Congress’ tallest leader and there was never any dispute over this issue. The party and the government work in unison, he added.