Munish Sood
Shimla
The appointment of Nigam Bhandari as the new District Congress Committee (DCC) president for Kinnaur has triggered an open show of factionalism within the Himachal Pradesh Congress, prompting the party’s central leadership to step in to contain the fallout.
The controversy unfolded while AICC in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajni Patil is in Shimla for a series of organisational meetings with senior party leaders aimed at reviewing the party’s affairs and strengthening the organisation. Responding to questions from the media, Patil described the differences as a normal part of internal party functioning and said both Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi and newly appointed district chief Nigam Bhandari would be invited for a face-to-face discussion to clear misunderstandings and restore organisational unity.
The dispute erupted after Jagat Singh Negi, the Congress MLA from Kinnaur and a senior cabinet minister, publicly opposed Bhandari’s appointment. In unusually sharp remarks, Negi described Bhandari as a “BJP sleeper cell” and alleged that he was functioning as the BJP’s “B-team.”
Negi claimed Bhandari had repeatedly worked against the Congress ideology and asserted that had the party leadership sought his opinion before making the appointment, he would have strongly objected. According to the minister, handing over the district organisation to someone whom he considers politically opposed to him is not in the party’s interest.
Amid the growing controversy, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu sought to play down the differences, asserting that there was no personal rift between Jagat Singh Negi and Nigam Bhandari. Speaking to reporters in Shimla, Sukhu said Bhandari is a national-level office-bearer of the Congress and maintained that any issues within the party would be resolved through internal discussions. He expressed confidence that the matter would be settled amicably.
Despite the public disagreement, Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh congratulated Nigam Bhandari on assuming charge as Kinnaur DCC president while urging Congress leaders to maintain unity. He expressed confidence that the issue would be resolved internally through dialogue.
Backing the appointment, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee President Vinay Kumar rejected claims that Bhandari was a “parachute leader.” He said Bhandari had long been associated with the Congress organisation and was not an outsider imposed by the leadership. Vinay Kumar also said he would personally meet Jagat Singh Negi to resolve the differences and ensure the matter does not affect the party’s functioning.
Responding to the allegations, Nigam Bhandari categorically denied any links with the BJP and challenged Jagat Singh Negi to produce evidence before the Congress high command if such claims could be substantiated. He maintained that he has always worked for the Congress and accused his critics of making baseless allegations.
The episode has once again brought the Congress’ internal fault lines into public view at a time when the party is attempting to strengthen its organisation ahead of future political challenges. Even as senior leaders have moved to downplay the controversy, the developments have highlighted the challenges of maintaining organisational cohesion within the ruling party.
