Will use good ties with senior leaders to strengthen party, says HPCC chief

Newly-appointed HPCC president Vinay Kumar is banking on his “good relations” with all senior leaders to strengthen the party and have coordination between the government and the party. “My father and I worked with late Virbhadra Singh and have good relations with his family. My relations with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri are also very cordial. I will use these relations to take everyone along and strengthen the party,” said Kumar, the three-time MLA from Sri Renukaji Assembly constituency in district Sirmaur.

In political circles, his elevation is being seen as the balancing act by the party high command to ensure there’s no serious resentment in any faction.

While stating that all six candidates, who were recently interviewed by the party high command for the post, were equally competent, Kumar said the party top brass was aware of the fact that the post was not given to Sirmaur district after YS Parmar, the first Chief Minister of the state. “Besides, my constituency is the Congress stronghold. First, YS Parmar represented the constituency. Then my father represented it six times and now I’ve won three times. In all these years, the BJP has represented the constituency just for three years,” said Kumar.

For Kumar, the biggest challenge will be to rejuvenate the party workers who have been demotivated by the long delay in reconstituting the HPCC. While admitting that the delay had discouraged the party workers, Kumar said the HPCC would now be reconstituted sooner than later.

“It’s not even 24 hours since I was named the HPCC chief, but I’ve already received so many messages from the party workers, including from those who had been quiet for a while. Seeing the response of the senior leaders and workers, I think I will be able to get the HPCC back on its feet and take on the BJP,” said Kumar.

Under Pratibha Singh, there seemed a lack of coordination between the government and the party and the outgoing HPCC chief had voiced her concerns over party workers not getting their due several times. The new HPCC president said that he would become the voice of the party workers and ensure there was coordination between the party and the government. “While there may have been some shortcomings in the past, we will all sit down together and address whatever complaints the party workers may have,” said Kumar.

I fulfilled my responsibility with dedication: Pratibha

While congratulating Vinay Kumar on being appointed as HPCC president, outgoing state Congress president Pratibha Singh hoped that the organisation would continue to move forward under the new president. She also expressed gratitude to the party high command for having given her the responsibility to lead the party in the state.

"I have fulfilled that responsibility with dedication and will continue to serve the party in whatever capacity it requires,” she said.

She also expressed gratitude to party leaders and workers for their support during her tenure, saying that their efforts have led to the formation of a strong Congress government in the state. She further said that under the leadership of CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri, she would work with the newly-appointed state Congress president to strengthen the organisation.