AICC chief''s decision comes as reprieve to Pradeep Chhabra

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 7

While the decision of AICC president Rahul Gandhi to allow all state presidents of the party to continue on the post is a reprieve to Chandigarh Congress president Pradeep Chhabra, it came as a jolt to his rival camp within the party which has been trying hard to remove him since long.

Sources in the party said the rival group of Chhabra would have to wait for more time to restart its activities again, while it would give Chhabra time to consolidate his position in the party.

Chhabra, who has the support of former Union Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, was appointed as the president in January 2015 after the party High Command removed BB Bahal from the post.

Chhabra has been facing opposition from a section of the leaders of the party since he was appointed the president. Besides Manish Tewari’s group, some senior leaders of the party also tried to remove him from the post.

The sources said Rahul Gandhi took the decision to not to change any of the presidents of the states keeping in mind the General elections to be held in 2019. Another reason for not interfering in the organisational structure was that Rahul does not want to intensify the fighting within the party just before the elections.

For the Congress, next General elections are crucial as it will be the first election being held under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. With only a year left for the elections, the Congress does not want to shake the structure of the party.

Chhabra, who had joined the NSUI in 1986, held various posts in the party, besides being elected as the Mayor of Chandigarh once.

Was appointed city Cong chief in Jan 2015

Pradeep Chhabra, who has the support of former Union Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, was appointed as the president in January 2015 after the party High Command removed BB Bahal from the post.