Sunil Chadha
SHIMLA: After nine months of deliberations, the Congress high command appears close to naming a new president for its Himachal Pradesh unit — but is now caught in a strategic dilemma: should it appoint a leader from the dominant Rajput community or a candidate from the Scheduled Caste (SC) bloc, which forms a key chunk of its support base, or should it go with someone else?
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is expected to fly to Delhi on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) to finalise the appointment, with multiple rounds of consultations already underway. Party sources say the name is “almost settled” and Sukhu’s visit is to secure final approval.
The Newz Radar had recently reported that Education Minister Rohit Thakur and Palampur MLA Ashish Butail were frontrunners in the race for the Himachal Congress president.
Caste arithmetic at centre of political calculations
The Congress’ internal tug-of-war reflects the state’s complex social matrix. As per the 2011 Census, Himachal Pradesh’s population stands at 68.6 lakh, of which Rajputs constitute an estimated 28% (19.2 lakh), a numerically strong and politically influential group.
Scheduled Castes (SCs) account for 25.19% (17.3 lakh), with their influence reflected in 17 of the state’s 68 Assembly seats reserved for SCs. Scheduled Tribes (STs) form 5.71% (3.9 lakh) of the population, with three reserved seats.
Given the near parity between Rajput and SC populations — and the larger number of reserved constituencies for SCs — Congress insiders believe that handing the state party reins to an SC leader could help consolidate a reliable vote bank ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
The party has had only three SC state presidents in the past, making a fresh appointment an opportunity to signal inclusivity and grassroots representation.
SC leaders emerge as frontrunners, but face resistance
Current frontrunners include Deputy Speaker Vinay Kumar, Bhoranj MLA Suresh Kumar, and Kasauli MLA Vinod Sultanpuri. All three hail from the SC community. While Suresh and Sultanpuri were initially backed by Sukhu, several senior Congress leaders opposed their names, citing inexperience.
This shifted the focus to Vinay Kumar, a more seasoned politician who previously served as working president of the Himachal Pradesh Congress. Notably, when Pratibha Singh was appointed Congress chief in April 2022, Vinay was one of four working presidents. With the other three having since defected to the BJP, he is now the sole active Congressman from that leadership team, boosting his chances.
Another potential pick is Sports and Ayush Minister Yadvinder Goma, also from the SC community, who could be shifted from the Cabinet to an organisational post, sources said.
Rajput ministers reluctant to exit Cabinet
The alternative — choosing a Rajput leader — is also proving tricky. While names like Education Minister Rohit Thakur, Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh were initially floated, all three are first-time ministers and reluctant to relinquish their Cabinet portfolios for the party role.
This hesitation has weakened the Rajput camp’s case, despite their numerical strength and longstanding political clout in the state. Former PCC chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore, also a Rajput, was reportedly considered, but didn’t gain enough support within the present power structure.
Meanwhile, some in the party argue that offering the post to an SC leader would strike a political balance, especially with the CM himself being a member of the Rajput community.
