Unhappy with Rathore, Kaul, Sukhu loyalists meet in Mandi

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, June 26

Displeased with the working of Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore, loyalists of senior Congress leader Kaul Singh Thakur and former HPCC chief Sukhwinder Sukhu held a meeting in closed doors in Mandi to chalk out a future strategy.

Sources told The Tribune that the Congress workers had discussions over the working of Congress president and expressed their disappointment. They alleged that the HPCC president was ignoring Congress top brass of the state, which had weakened the party.

It is learnt that the meeting was held under the leadership of Congress leader Sohan Lal Thakur, where party leaders from Mandi like Lal Singh Kaushal, Jeewan Thakur, Pawan Thakur, Champa Thakur, Jagdish Reddi, Mansa Ram and Vijay Pal Singh were present.

The sources said that a letter had been sent to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to apprise her of the current situation of the Congress party in the state. These party leaders alleged that after reshuffling state, district and block units of Congress party, senior party leaders were not consulted by the HPCC chief. Many office-bearers were nominated to key posts, who were not even primary members of the party. Some of them had even worked against the official party candidates in last assembly elections.

Ever since his election, HPCC chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore has been under fire from own party leaders like Kaul Singh Thakur and supporters of Sukhu. The reason being cited is that Rathore has ignored the supporters of Kaul Singh and Sukhu and did not give them any position in the party.