Congress banks on Vinod Sultanpuri to regain lost glory in Shimla

Tribune News Service

Ambika Sharma

Solan, April 13

Having failed to wrest the Shimla Lok Sabha (SC) seat since 2004, the Congress has chosen Vinod Sultanpuri, son of six-term MP Krishan Dutt Sultanpuri to turn the tide in their favour.

Congress bastion

• The Shimla parliamentary seat had been an impregnable Congress bastion
• Krishan Dutt Sultanpuri, Vinod Sultanpuri’s father, had reigned supreme from 1980 to 1998, winning six consecutive elections
• The Congress has, however, not won the seat since 2009

Vinod Sultanpuri is a first-term MLA from Kasauli Assembly seat falling in Solan district. Belonging to the dominant Koli community, the 42-year Sultanpuri had earlier unsuccessfully contested two Assembly elections from Kasauli. He had lost by a narrow margin of 24 votes in 2012 and 442 in 2017. He, however, won by 6,768 votes in 2022 and secured 51.10 per cent vote share defeating BJP MLA and Cabinet minister Dr Rajiv Saizal. Congress hopes that Sultanpuri would repeat his father’s magic and erode into BJP candidate and sitting MP Suresh Kashyap’s vote bank as he too hails from the same Koli community. This community is considered to be decisive for Shimla Lok Sabha seat. It, however, remains to be seen if he would manage to wrest back this seat for the Congress which it has lost since the last three consecutive terms.

The Shimla parliamentary seat had been an impregnable Congress bastion. His father Krishan Dutt Sultanpuri had reigned supreme from 1980 to 1998. He established a record of winning six consecutive Lok Sabha elections in 1980, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1996 and 1998. Known for his political acumen, Krishan Dutt Sultanpuri dominated the political arena in the Shimla constituency for nearly two decades, giving little space to any other leader.

The Congress hopes his son would bring back the lost glory for the Congress as success has eluded Congress since 2009.

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