Shimla, Aug 30: History is repeating itself in Himachal Pradesh where Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is once again testing the might of Congress leadership by threatening to withdraw from the upcoming elections lest his demands regarding poll strategy are met.
The Chief Minister wants state party chief Sukhwinder Sukhu replaced and has in a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi explained the reasons behind his decision to neither contest 2017 Himachal elections nor lead the party. On August 25 when he addressed Congress MLAs in Shimla, the Chief Minister told them “he did not want to kill himself after being humiliated by a pygmy”.
That reference, a senior party MLA says, was to Sukhu.Sonia Gandhi has now asked her political secretary Ahmed Patel to rush back from Gujarat and control the potential damage of Himachal the Chief Minister’s statements. With Singh already in Delhi for a court hearing, a meeting between him and Patel is likely tomorrow amid Congress anxiety to placate the regional strongman.
That said the question insiders are asking is, “Why doesn’t the Congress learn its lessons?”In a similar turn of events on the eve of 2012 Himachal elections, Sonia Gandhi had removed the then Himachal unit president Kaul Singh Thakur and named Virbhadra Singh as the new chief. The announcement in August 2012 was followed by Singh’s resignations from election committees and his covert threat to fight Himachal polls in alliance with the NCP.
It’s August and things have again come to similar pass for the Congress which realises its poor electoral chances in the hill state without the 83-year-old warhorse and a six-time CM. Even in 2012 Congress left damage control to the last minute when it sent Ahmed Patel and AK Antony to pacify Singh following the latter’s remarks of a “historic announcement” in Chandigarh.
Congress insiders remember how Patel travelled to Sonepat to meet Singh who was en route to Chandigarh and how within hours Singh was named Himachal Congress chief and Kaul Singh Thakur removed.“Even in 2012, Ahmed Patel was the one who mollified Virbhadra Singh. It’s sad that things should take such a turn. The Chief Minister has been asking for Sukhu’s removal for months and has said he cannot deliver with Sukhu around,” a state party MLA says.
Aware of Virbhadra Singh’s support among 30 of 35 Congress MLAs in Himachal, the Congress may act now though party vice president Rahul Gandhi is said to be backing Sukhu. AICC general secretary for Himachal Sushil Shinde is unavailable and is in Mumbai for Ganesh festival celebrations.“We are waiting to hear from the leadership before making our next move.
One thing is clear – without the CM, Congress is not in the fight in Himachal and many MLAs may not contest if he does not lead. It’s a pity that the Chief Minister has had to suffer humiliation at the hands of state party chief. Sukhu recently put a poster in Kangra with a huge picture of himself and a very small one of his. District chiefs appointed by Sukhu don’t acknowledge the Chief Minister in speeches.
This is the state of affairs,” a Himachal Congress MLA rues.Though Congress seniors concede to similarities between 2012 and 2017, they say in 2012 the clash was between titans Kaul Singh and Virbhadra Singh and the fight was for the CM’s chair. “This time the clash is between a titan and a political pygmy,” a senior Congress MLA said.
Source Tribune India
