Virbhadra to steer Cong in Assembly poll

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 24

A loud and clear signal has been sent to one and all that the 2017 Assembly elections will be contested under the leadership of Virbhadra Singh at the Extended General House of the state Congress here today. It was also made amply clear that all is not well between the Chief Minister and State Congress President Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu.

The top brass of the Congress leadership in the state was in full attendance as AICC General Secretary and in-charge of party affairs in Himachal, Ambika Soni arrived to prepare the roadmap for the 2017 elections at the two-day Extended General House of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC). Soni chose to pat both Virbhadra and Sukhu by appreciating their work in the government and the party, respectively, but she also made it amply clear that removing anyone from their post was the sole prerogative of the AICC.

“Removing or appointing anyone is in the hands of the AICC only and who knows this better than me. I got a phone call from Soniaji that my services were needed by the party and I resigned as a union minister to work for the party,” she said quoting her own example to drive home the point. Soni also said winnability would be the sole criterion for ticket distribution before polls and issues like quota or camps will not be the deciding factors.

The simmering tension between and Virbhadra and Sukhu was more than evident with Chief Minister not mincing words in expressing his displeasure at several moves of the HPCCC. He made it clear that a majority of the office-bearers in the party had never contested an election and did not have a mass base. He also pointed out that some of these office bearers were hitting out at him on social media which was unacceptable.

The Chief Minister once again reiterated that the creation of four new organisational districts in the Congress by the HPCC was a very wrong move on which he was never consulted. “Creating these districts within the bigger districts is bound to give people a basis to demand new administrative districts, which a small state like Himachal cannot afford,” he said in his address.

He also stressed the need for better coordination between the party and the government. “Neither can Sukhu become the Chief Minister not am I eying the post of HPCC president so there is no question of any clash and we need to work in unison to strengthen the party,” he remarked. He added that he had remained the HPCC chief four times and preference must be given to people with strong base.

Former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Anand Sharma stressed the need for working unitedly to take on the BJP which had failed on all fronts. “We need to highlight the failures of the Modi regime and more so as saffronisation of educational institutes was becoming a major threat and cause of concern,” he said.

Sukhu in his address said Virbhadra was a tall and respected leader and the party would work in unison with the government. “Every second day there is a planted news item in the media that I am being removed which is not right as it is totally in the hands of the high command to remove me any time they wish to,” he stated.

He gave details of the programmes organized by the HPCC in the past and the future plans of “Gaon Ek Vikaas Anek” programme which will cover every panchayat of the state. H

e said action would be taken against anyone making remarks against the CM or any other leader. Sukhu reacted to CM’s remarks that a majority of the HPCC office-bearers had no mass base by stating that many were Zila Parishad and Panchayat elected representatives.

Virbhadra, Sukhu feud: Split, wide open 

CM targets Sukhu

A majority of the office-bearers in the party have never contested an election. They do not have a mass base. Some of them are hitting out at me on the social media which is unacceptable. The creation of four new organisational districts in the Congress by the HPCC is a wrong move for which I was never consulted. — Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister

Sukhu’s reply

Virbhadra is a tall and respected leader and the party will work in unison with the government. Action will be taken against anyone making remarks against the CM or any other leader.  Many were Zila Parishad and Panchayat elected representatives. I am not eyeing the Chief Minister’s throne so there is no question of any clash. — Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, state Congress president

Appointment row 

Virbhadra also said that despite repeated pleas, the HPCC had not provided the list with names and postal address of the state HPCC office-bearers so that they can be intimated about the policies and schemes of the government.