S Gopal Puri
SHIMLA:
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday (October 13, 2025) unveiled a statue of six-time Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh at Shimla’s iconic Ridge. The unveiling marked a public tribute to a towering political figure who shaped modern Himachal and with whom Sonia Gandhi herself is often learnt to have had a turbulent political relationship, especially in the run-up to the 2012 Assembly elections.
Thirteen years ago, tents had been pitched outside Virbhadra Singh’s Delhi residence, and insiders claim he was hours away from announcing his exit from the Congress to join Sharad Pawar’s NCP, all this after being frustrated by the party’s refusal to appoint him as Himachal Congress president.
But late that very night, Sonia Gandhi intervened personally. In a dramatic U-turn, she decided to replace Kaul Singh Thakur with Virbhadra Singh as state party chief, effectively handing him control of the campaign. That decision not only brought Virbhadra Singh back from the political brink, but paved the way for Congress’ eventual victory in the 2012 elections and Virbhadra Singh’s sixth and last term as CM.
On Monday, Sonia Gandhi stood beside Virbhadra Singh’s statue with a calm expression, the past unspoken, yet unmistakably present.
Emotional homage amidst political realities
The bronze statue, nine feet tall and cast in ashtadhatu, was commissioned by the Virbhadra Singh Foundation and sculpted by Ram Sutar, the centenarian artist best known for designing the Statue of Unity. Sonia Gandhi, flanked by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and top Congress leaders, including Sachin Pilot and Deepender Hooda, offered floral tributes during the grand public event attended by thousands from across the state.
“Virbhadra Singh was among the tallest leaders of our country. He gave shape to the hopes of the people of Himachal Pradesh and his legacy deserves to be remembered and celebrated,” said Pilot.
From conflict to reconciliation
Despite today’s optics of unity, the Congress high command’s relationship with Virbhadra Singh was often marked by mutual dependence and mistrust. A man with royal lineage and mass following, Virbhadra Singh resisted central interference in state politics, something that repeatedly put him at odds with the party brass in Delhi.
In 2012, after being denied the Himachal Pradesh Congress presidency, Virbhadra Singh’s frustration reached a boiling point. Publicly humiliated and politically cornered, he threatened to retire from politics, famously telling journalists that he would “go back to his farm with a bag of beans”.
While publicly declaring loyalty to Sonia Gandhi, Virbhadra Singh also met 13 MLAs and held meetings with senior Congress functionaries in Delhi, bypassing then state chief Kaul Singh. With tents set up outside his home and rumours of a defection rife, it was Sonia Gandhi’s eleventh-hour intervention that defused the crisis.
Sources at the time said Virbhadra Singh was assured not only the state presidency but also influence in ticket distribution. Weeks later, he was made the face of the campaign — and led the party to a comfortable victory.
‘Raja Sahib’ lives on
Virbhadra Singh passed away on July 8, 2021, at the age of 87. Over nearly five decades, he was nine-time MLA, five-time MP and held several Union ministries including Steel, Tourism and MSME. He remains one of the few Indian politicians to have never lost an Assembly election.
To the people of Himachal, he was always “Raja Sahib”, not just because of his royal heritage from the former princely state of Bushahr, but because of his deep emotional connection with the hills and its people.
His son and current PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh, who heads the Virbhadra Singh Foundation, said during the event, “This statue is not just made of metal but is cast from the love and memories of the people. My father’s relationship with Himachal was not political but personal.”
The event on Shimla Ridge was more than a political ritual. It was a reunion of Congress leaders, a reaffirmation of unity ahead of upcoming local body elections and a reminder of how central Virbhadra Singh remained — even when he wasn’t physically present.
From the traditional nati dances to the emotional crowd from Virbhadra Singh’s home regions like Rampur, Rohru and Theog, the event reflected the grassroots power he once commanded.
