Virbhadra ousts Sukhu as campaign panel chief

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 16

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today re-established himself as the supreme leader of the Himachal Congress as he ousted arch-rival and state party chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu from the post of party campaign committee chief in the election-bound Himachal.

The Chief Minister is the new campaign panel chairman of the Congress.

A late night order from the Congress said, “Party vice-president Rahul Gandhi has approved the name of irbhadra Singh as the chairman of the campaign committee for the elections. MLA Asha Kumari has been included as Pradesh Election Committee member.”

This communiqué came two days after a similar order was issued by Rahul Gandhi naming Sukhu as the campaign chief.

A miffed Chief Minister and some top Himachal Congress leaders, including Anand Sharma, Viplove Thakur, GS Bali and Asha Kumari, met Gandhi one on one this morning with reports that most of them asked for Sukhu to be removed and the Chief Minister to be installed as the campaign head.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi is learnt to have intervened to contain the damage after the Chief Minister made it clear that he could not function with Sukhu, something he had earlier said.

Pending Sukhu’s removal, the Congress had to cancel a morning press interaction in which the Chief Minister was to be present. It was only this evening that the Chief Minister finally launched his campaign in Himachal calling it “Jawaab dega Himachal” as a counter to the BJP’s “Hisaab mange Himachal”.

42 names cleared

The Congress’ Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) met this morning and cleared names on 42 seats. Four leaders told the committee that they didn’t want to contest. They were Harsh Mahajan, Viplove Thakur, Vidya Stokes and Neeraj Bharti.

Asked if he would contest, Sukhwinder Sukhu told The Tribune, “The Congress high command will decide. Options for change of constituency are also open.” PEC insiders later said Sukhu was reluctant to fight and said so at the meeting today. It is learnt that he wants to shift from Nadaun to Shimla Urban and will let “Rahul Gandhi decide”.

Virbhadra said Sukhu should contest. Meanwhile, the CM is yet to decide whether to contest from Theog or Arki.

He told TNS, “I am also considering fighting from Arki which we have been losing for two terms. I will decide my seat soon. But I will fight either from Arki or Theog. I will not fight both.”

The names of four MLAs who had not applied for ticket so far – the CM, Asha Kumari, Mukesh Agnihotri and GS Bali – have been cleared cleared.

Asked if the one family, one ticket rule will apply as it did in Punjab, the CM ruled it out saying, “My son will contest elections. He has every right. He is the state Youth Congress chief. The only criterion for ticket selection is winnability.” Kaul Singh Thakur is seeking ticket for his daughter.

The Congress kept seats in the Hamirpur Lok Sabha segment pending and will wait until former CM PK Dhumal reveal his strategy. Asked when the first list will come, Virbhadra Singh said, “Tomorrow or day after.”

The Sonia Gandhi-led Congress Central Election Committee will meet tomorrow to finalise the names. The meeting of the party’s screening committee was still underway when this report was filed.