Efforts on to rope in sulking ex-CM to join campaign

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 16

The senior leadership of the Congress has made an effort to mend fences between AICC in charge of the state Rajni Patil and former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

A meeting was arranged between Rajni Patil and Virbhadra Singh late last evening at Dharamsala. Sources told The Tribune that at the meeting that lasted for over an hour, efforts were made to persuade Virbhadra to join the party campaign in the state.

Though the outcome of the meeting was not yet known, sources said the stress was laid on roping in Virbhadra to join Patil’s programme.

Virbhadra has been staying away from the party meetings. Even yesterday, the former CM did not participate in an event at Palampur. Besides Virbhadra, all other leaders, including those belonging to his faction, were present.

The sources said the meeting between Patil and Virbhadra was facilitated by leader of the Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri.

The veteran leader has been demanding a change in the HPCC leadership. However, the party has not obliged Virbhadra and Sukhwinder Sukhu has been continuing as party president.

The sources said many leaders were of the view that it was necessary for the party get Virbhadra involved in campaigning in view of the coming parliamentary elections. The party had factions and there was no cohesive campaign of the Congress. It had failed to put up an aggressive opposition against the BJP government in the state.

Mukesh Agnihotri admitted that Rajni Patil and Virbhadra had met in Dharamsala. He, however, refused to divulge the details of the meeting.

With the Congress strengthening after win in the Assembly elections of three states, it was being expected that both warring factions might melt down with the expectation that the party might be in a position to form the government at the Centre in 2019.

Outcome not known

• Though the outcome of the meeting was not yet known, efforts were made to make Virbhadra join the programmes of the party being organised under Patil.
• Virbhadra has been staying away from the party programmes 
• The veteran leader has been demanding a change in the HPCC leadership.