Shimla, Sep 1: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh met Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday to push for his demand for changing Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukku ahead of year-end assembly elections. The party is likely to take a call on his demand after Congress Vice president Rahul Gandhi returns from his travel abroad.
The party sources said that the resolution of Himachal Pradesh Congress tangle to a considerable extent will depend on how Rahul handles the Sukku issue. Only a month earlier, he had reportedly turned down Virbhadra’s request for PCC leadership change. Whether Rahul reverses his own decision or will he continue to back Sukku, it remains to be seen.
The sources said the CM had upped his ante on Sukku’s exit ever since the PCC chief began openly issuing statements against him in the past few months.
Pushed to the wall, octogenarian Virbhadra had no choice but to openly threaten Congress leadership. He had warned that he would rather stay out of Assembly elections if he did not get a free hand to lead elections.
Virbhadra’s threat to stay out of polls so united party MLAs that as many as 30 out of a total of 36 Congress MLAs rallied behind the CM at a legislature party meeting last week. The legislators simply dread facing the elections without Virbhadra
“One cannot think of going to polls without Virbhadraji. If he is not there to lead us, every MLA will have to fight his own battle. We will become like independent candidates fighting on Congress ticket,” said AICC-in charge for Punjab Asha Kumari, who is a MLA from the state.
The party sources said Himachal MLAs are all rooting for Virbhadra as they feel they can come back to power with him. “There is so much infighting in the BJP that we are waiting when BJP national president Amit Shah will announce JP Nadda as CM candidate. Moment Nadda is made CM candidate, his rival PK Dhumal will ensure that Congress is back in office,” said Asha Kumari.
Source Mumbai Mirror
