Congress central observers implicate Himachal CM Sukhu, Pratibha, Vikramaditya alike for political crisis facing govt
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TNR Desk
Congress central observers deputed by the party high command to resolve the crisis facing the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government in Himachal Pradesh have blamed Chief Minister Sukhu, state unit president and Mandi MP Pratibha Singh as well as her son and PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh for plunging the state regime into trouble.
In their report submitted to the high command, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda blamed the trio for the challenges facing the Congress government in Himachal.
The Sukhu government had to face an embarrassing situation recently when the party’s Rajya Sabha nominee Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a renowned legal luminary, had to face defeat despite the Congress having comfortable majority with 40 MLAs in the 68-member Vidhan Sabha. The BJP had 25 MLAs of its own, but it managed the votes of six Congress rebels and three Independent MLAs. BJP’s Harsh Mahajan won after draw of lots as both the parties were tied at 34 votes each.
The Congress in Himachal Pradesh has been embroiled in internal turmoil following the recent Rajya Sabha election debacle and subsequent crisis within the state unit. The Congress observers dispatched to assess the situation submitted a comprehensive report to party president Mallikarjun Kharge, shedding light on the underlying issues plaguing the party.
Chief Minister Sukhu has come under severe scrutiny as the observers have labelled him as “unaware of the ground realities” in the state. The report highlights Sukhu’s failure to anticipate the cross-voting that occurred during the Rajya Sabha election, questioning his ability to maintain cohesion within the party. The observers criticised Sukhu for his inability to prevent dissent within the party ranks and expressed doubts about his capacity to quell future rebellions.
State unit president Pratibha has also been implicated in the report, with observers holding her accountable for the party’s shortcomings in the elections and the overall state of disarray within the unit. The report suggested that Pratibha should be fielded in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and recommends a change in leadership at the state level.
Dissident leader Vikramaditya Singh’s actions during the crisis are deemed as disruptive to party discipline, raising concerns about his reliability as a leader. The report has cast doubt on Vikramaditya’s ability to garner trust from key party members in the future.
The observers further alleged that rebel MLAs were lured by the BJP, which sought to destabilise the Congress government in the state. They emphasised the need for immediate reforms to prevent further instability within the government and suggest distributing corporation and other posts to the disgruntled MLAs before the implementation of the code of conduct.
While acknowledging BJP’s attempts to topple the government, the report advised against changing the Chief Minister, cautioning that such a move could play into BJP’s strategy of holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
To address the internal rift, the report proposed the formation of a coordination committee comprising the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and key party leaders, with two members suggested by the Congress president.
The report underscored the urgency for the Congress to address internal divisions and strengthen its position ahead of upcoming elections, emphasising the need for swift and decisive action to restore unity and stability within the party ranks.
For further developments, the Congress is expected to deliberate on the recommendations outlined in the observers’ report in the days to come.
