Sukhu, Pratibha meet Patil, discuss HPCC reconstitution

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, HPCC president Pratibha Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri are in New Delhi and have met Rajni Patil, AICC in-charge for Himachal, separately. The discussions between Rajni and state Congress leaders suggest that the reconstitution of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), which is lying defunct for four-and-a half-month now, could be round the corner.

Rajni had held detailed discussions with the state party leaders regarding the HPCC’s reconstitution when she visited the state last month. She had even announced that the state organisation would be in place by March 15. “She will have to take a decision sooner than later now, as the party is missing from the ground for over four months now. It will not be possible to have everyone on the same page,” said a senior party leader.

According to sources, the officer-bearers of the state committee and district presidents will be announced first and the names of the block committee presidents will be announced later. Meanwhile, state leaders are also toying with the idea of increasing the number of district and block units, just like the BJP has done some time ago in the state. “We are thinking on these lines but the permission for this has to come from the party high command. If we get the approval, we will go-ahead with the idea,” said another senior party leader.

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge had dissolved the HPCC, right up to block level, on November 6. HPCC president Pratibha Singh was the only office-bearer who was allowed to continue. The reconstitution process was started soon after, but the party is taking long to finalise the names of the office-bearers.