Cong to dissolve Kangra organisational districts

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 5

The Congress has decided to do away with organisational districts in Kangra. The biggest and politically most significant district of the state having 15 assembly constituencies would now have just one district president.

Sources in the Congress told The Tribune that the decision to this effect has been taken by the party and would be announced after the party was reorganised. Before the entire organization was dissolved in the state, the Congress had four organisational districts in Kangra — Palampur, Kangra, Nurpur and Dehra.

The organisational districts were created by former HPCC president Sukhwinder Sukhu. Many Congress leaders, including former minister GS Bali and even former CM Virbhadra Singh, had voiced their concern about creating organizational districts in Kangra. The said leaders were of the view that creating organisational districts led to division of party leadership in Kangra.

The Congress had followed the BJP in creating organisational districts in Kangra. The BJP had first created organisational districts in Kangra which were continuing to date. The BJP had Palampur, Kangra, Nurpur and Dehra organisational districts in one Kangra district. Each organisational district has its own president and elected body.

Many of BJP leaders in Kangra had also opposed creation of organisational districts on the plea that it was a ploy to divide Kangra district and create smaller districts out of it. The move for creation of smaller districts from Kangra was initiated during the stint of the previous BJP government led by Prem Kumar Dhumal. However, the move was strong opposed by senior BJP leaders from Kangra like Shanta Kumar and Kishan Kapoor.

Though the move to divide Kangra was dropped, the BJP made organisational districts. The Congress under ex-HPCC president followed the suite and created organisational districts in Kangra.

Now the party has once decided to give a consolidated leadership Kangra district. GS Bali, when contacted by The Tribune, said that consolidated leadership in Kangra district was required to strengthen the party. The consolidated leadership can take up the issues of the entire region and act as a collective leadership, he said.

However, after the party creates a consolidated leadership in Kangra various factions of the Congress would try to vest control over the party organisation. Before the organisational districts were created the group led by GS Bali was heading the party organisation in Kangra. Sources said now various groups would try to vest control over the consolidated organisation of Kangra.

Virbhadra, others opposed move

• The Congress has four organisational districts in Kangra - Palampur, Kangra, Nurpur and Dehra
• These were created by former HPCC president Sukhwinder Sukhu
• Many Congress leaders, including former CM Virbhadra Singh and former minister GS Bali, had voiced concern over the move, saying it would lead to division of party leadership in Kangra

Why smaller districts came up

• During the previous BJP rule, a demand was raised for division of Kangra into smaller districts, including Nurpur, Dehra, Palampur and Kangra for administrative reasons
• The idea was dropped after resistance from senior BJP leaders from Kangra. However, at the party level, the BJP created smaller districts in Kangra
• The Congress followed suit and similarly created smaller organisational districts in Kangra for administrative reasons

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