Organisational vacuum worsens ahead of panchayat elections in hill state
Sunil Chadha
Shimla:
While the Congress managed to break a year-long leadership deadlock in Haryana on Monday, its Himachal Pradesh unit remains stuck in political limbo, 10 months after the party’s organisational structure was disbanded by the high command in November 2024.
In Haryana, the Congress appointed former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda as the new CLP leader and Rao Narender Singh, a senior OBC face, as the state Congress president, resolving months of infighting. But in Himachal, despite the Congress being in power, no new president, no district or block committees and no clear direction has emerged, leaving party workers frustrated and leaders entangled in internal rivalries, rued a state leader.
Since the disbanding of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), only MP Pratibha Singh remains as an office-bearer. Despite a Congress government in the state, led by CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the party itself is running without a proper organisational backbone, a situation that many see as both “embarrassing and damaging”.
“Without a party structure, there’s no way to coordinate or mobilise. We’re in power but politically paralysed,” said a senior party worker from Kangra.
Several meetings have been held in Delhi — some attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and party in-charge Rajni Patil — but no new team has been finalised. The biggest hurdle, insiders say, is the power tussle between the Sukhu camp and the Pratibha Singh faction, as well as reluctance from ministers to give up their government posts for party roles.
Leaders unwilling, workers directionless
Names of multiple leaders, including ministers Rohit Thakur, Anirudh Singh, Harshwardhan Chauhan and MLAs like Ashish Butail and Vinod Sultanpuri, have been floated for the state Congress chief’s post. But with no consensus in sight, the party is drifting, even as crucial panchayat and urban body elections approach.
“It’s becoming a question of credibility. If the Congress can’t fix Himachal, a small hill state, how will it convince the country it’s ready to govern again in 2029?” said a political observer.
BJP steps up attack
The BJP has wasted no time in exploiting the Congress vacuum. Having appointed Dr Rajeev Bindal as its state president, the party has launched a series of campaigns targeting the Sukhu government — from issues like the revival of lotteries to allegations around flood relief.
“The Congress can’t blame us for its confusion,” said BJP spokesperson Rakesh Jamwal, responding to Congress in-charge Rajni Patil’s recent attempt to shift focus by questioning BJP chief JP Nadda’s term. “They’re trying to distract, but the fact is — we have a full team, they have none. The Congress high command is paralysed by its own infighting.”
Stakes high with local polls near
With grassroots elections around the corner, the organisational void could prove costly for the Congress. The lack of local committees means no ground-level preparation, while the BJP has already mobilised its workers under the “Operation Sindoor” and “Tiranga Yatra” campaigns.
A state Congress leader summed up the frustration: “We’re in government, but we have no organisation. That’s a recipe for disaster in local polls. The workers are demoralised and the public is losing confidence.” Unless the Congress high command acts fast, Himachal Pradesh, once seen as a model state for Congress revival, may become an example of missed opportunities and internal collapse, he said.
