Vikramaditya, Vinod Sultanpuri’s families have held Mandi, Shimla seats for 6 terms
TNR Desk
Facing a crucial byelection test that will decide its fate, the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government in Himachal Pradesh has been strategically putting up a brave face and is looking to send across a message that it would “easily attain majority”.
The Himachal Congress planning to field two of its MLAs — Vikramaditya Singh (Shimla-Rural) from Mandi and Vinod Sultanpuri (Kasauli) from Shimla — for the Lok Sabha elections is said to be part of this strategy to put the BJP on back foot through an “aggressive stance”. Incidentally, the Congress is left with 34 MLAs in the 68-member Assembly (majority mark in full House is 35) after the disqualification of its six legislators, who had cross-voted for the BJP in the recent Rajya Sabha election.
In sync with its slogan of ‘Vyavastha Parivartan’ (system change), the Congress has made different strategies for both Lok Sabha poll and the Assembly byelections.
Cashing in on family legacy
The Mandi parliamentary constituency has been the traditional seat of the family of PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh (34). His father and six-term former Chief Minister late Virbhadra Singh and mother Pratibha Singh have won the seat thrice each. The father of Vinod Sultanpuri (42), late KD Sultanpuri, has remained the Shimla MP for six consecutive terms. Considering the political legacy, the Congress has now decided to field the two young MLAs from Mandi and Shimla. Believing in the efficiency of both the young leaders along with the traditional vote of the party, Congress has prepared a plan to contest the Lok Sabha elections with full strength.
For the Assembly byelections to six seats, the Congress government is looking to go to the electorate on the basis of the Sukhu government’s “good performance” during its 15-month tenure. Sources said the Congress high command has given a free hand to Chief Minister Sukhu and Congress state president Pratibha Singh to contest the elections from the front foot in Himachal Pradesh.
