Shimla:
A day after a ruckus and factional fight were witnessed at a Congress meeting in Bilaspur in the presence of state unit president Pratibha Singh, top party leaders from Himachal Pradesh are headed to Delhi to attend the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Pradesh Congress Committee president Pratibha Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri are headed to Delhi to attend the CWC meeting.
While the official agenda is the party’s nationwide “Save the Constitution” campaign, sources said that talks on the long-pending restructuring of Himachal’s party organisation were now inevitable.
The state unit has remained without formal district or block-level leadership for nearly six months, an issue that has triggered growing discontent among workers and intensified internal divisions.
Sloganeering, accusations at Bilaspur meeting
Thursday’s meeting at Indira Bhavan in Bilaspur, which was intended to review preparations for the upcoming constitutional campaign, became a showcase of the Himachal Congress’ worsening internal strife.
Party workers openly clashed in front of state president Pratibha Singh, hurling slogans both in support of and against fellow Congress leaders. Heated accusations flew across the room, with workers alleging sabotage during past elections and neglect by ministers.
The situation escalated when minority leaders interrupted a speech by former spokesperson Sandeep Sankhyan, accusing him of ignoring community voices. Supporters of former MLA Bumber Thakur also joined the fray, nearly leading to physical confrontation.
Congress in power, BJP in control, allege workers
Grassroots frustration boiled over as workers accused the Congress-led state government of disconnecting from its base.
A ward member alleged that Congress ministers were protecting BJP-backed panchayat leaders. “It seems like we have the government, but the BJP is running it,” he said.
Adding to the tension, former minority cell official Sabardeen demanded the resignation of two ministers accused of making anti-Muslim statements.
His sharp criticism of the “Jansanghi mentality” within the Congress received vocal support, exposing deep ideological rifts.
Delhi visit turns crucial for party’s future in Himachal
While the Delhi visit is framed around the CWC’s strategic planning for the “Save the Constitution” campaign, the Himachal leadership is also expected to meet with the party high command to address the organisational paralysis back home.
The absence of district-level bodies has left the party rudderless on the ground. Senior leaders, including Cabinet Minister Chander Kumar, have publicly acknowledged the dysfunction, calling the state unit “paralysed”.
Sunil Chadha
