The Newz Radar
MANDI: As the parliamentary elections draw closer, the Congress in Himachal Pradesh finds itself ensnared in a web of uncertainty regarding the selection and finalisation of candidates for the four Lok Sabha seats in the state.
While the BJP has taken proactive strides by confirming candidates for the Hamirpur and Shimla seats, the Congress appears to be grappling with internal dilemmas.
In the latest setback to the party, Congress MP from Mandi and party’s state unit chief Pratibha Singh has opted out of the race. Seen as frontrunner for the ticket, she announced her decision not to contest in Shimla on Wednesday (March 20, 2024). “I have refused to contest the elections,” she said after returning from Delhi where she attended a meeting of the Congress screening committee on Tuesday.
Pratibha, who won in the byelection following the demise of BJP MP Ram Swaroop in 2021, rode a sympathy wave to secure her position, bolstered by then passing away of former six-term Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
An internal party survey has underscored overwhelming support for Pratibha’s candidacy, with over 60 per cent of respondents favouring her re-election bid from Mandi. Despite efforts to persuade her to defend her seat, she is purportedly inclined to focus on coordinating the electoral strategies across the six Assembly constituencies slated for bypolls.
The party’s central leadership has reportedly reached out to senior Congress leader Kaul Singh Thakur, urging him to brace himself for the electoral battle in Mandi. However, Kaul Singh has expressed reservations, citing health concerns and advanced age as deterrents to his candidacy.
The reluctance to vie for Lok Sabha seats extends beyond Kaul Singh, with other senior leaders from Mandi, Kullu and even Shimla exhibiting lack of enthusiasm for electoral contention this time round.
The Himachal Congress, which had lost all four seats in the previous two Lok Sabha elections, finds itself at a critical juncture amid the battle for survival that the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government is facing.
Complicating matters further, the Congress faces constraints in reallocating its legislative resources for parliamentary contests as it risks compromising its numerical strength in the Vidhan Sabha.
Amidst this flux, the Congress is adopting a cautious stance and a wait-and-watch approach. With a dearth of prominent contenders to challenge the BJP’s dominance in Mandi, the Congress appears content to bide its time, deferring the announcement of its candidate as it seeks to calibrate its electoral manoeuvres strategically.
