Credited the late leader for shaping modern Himachal Pradesh
Sunil Chadha
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu publicly praised his long-time political rival, the late six-term former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, at the unveiling of the latter’s statue in Shimla on Monday (October 13, 2025).
The act, however, was seen by many as necessity than choice as nearly 10,000 people had gathered at the historic Ridge and even the Congress “high command”, former party president Sonia Gandhi and national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, taking time out for the ceremony.
The large gathering — 7,000 chairs were put up for the crowd — was noteworthy despite the fact that the current regime is yet to fulfil all pre-poll guarantees and the opposition BJP every now and them attacking Chief Minister Sukhu over the issue.
The event, which took place months after political wrangling over the statue’s location, saw Sukhu calling Virbhadra a “leader of roads, development and public welfare” and crediting him and the Congress for shaping modern Himachal Pradesh.
Sukhu also said he had worked with Virbhadra for 30 years and publicly acknowledged that he had learnt a lot from him, a statement that surprised many given their political differences.
But the Chief Minister had little room to remain silent or distant this time as Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had already heaped praise on Virbhadra Singh in their speeches, acknowledging his contributions to the state and party. With pressure mounting from the Congress high command and internal party dynamics at play, Sukhu had to fall in line, even if reluctantly, said an analyst.
Sukhu, Virbhadra belonged to opposing factions
Sukhu and Virbhadra belonged to opposing factions within the Himachal Pradesh Congress. While Virbhadra led the dominant Holly Lodge camp for decades, Sukhu was part of the Vidya Stokes group, which frequently clashed with Virbhadra’s loyalists.
The rivalry was often public and personal. Once Virbhadra Singh had openly called Sukhu a “blackmailer in politics”, accusing him of harming the party’s image and strategy. Their camps even clashed violently at the Shimla Congress office in 2019. Virbhadra had then accused Sukhu’s supporters of inciting the violence, while Sukhu claimed the entire incident was being misrepresented and that there was full video footage to clarify what actually happened.
Statue politics and Vikramaditya’s struggles
The path to installing Virbhadra Singh’s statue was no less dramatic. Initially, the Sukhu government promised that the late leader’s statue would be installed at Shimla’s iconic Ridge ground by June 23, 2023, his birth anniversary. The Ridge already hosts statues of prominent national figures and there was cross-party support, including from the BJP, for placing Virbhadra’s statue there.
However, despite initial progress, the government suddenly refused to issue a no-objection certificate (NOC). The decision led to a political storm within the Congress. Virbhadra’s son and cabinet minister Vikramaditya Singh broke down publicly in February 2024, expressing his frustration over the government’s refusal to even provide land for his father’s statue. Feeling humiliated and ignored, Vikramaditya resigned from the cabinet, though he later withdrew it.
CM Sukhu’s appearance at the official unveiling and his glowing tribute to Virbhadra Singh stood in sharp contrast to past tensions. Observers say Sukhu’s words were less a change of heart and more a politically compelled gesture, especially after Sonia and Priyanka made their admiration for Virbhadra known.
During his speech, Sukhu said, “The story of Himachal’s development is the story of the Congress and Virbhadra Singh, not BJP or anyone else.” He credited the Congress leader with institutions like IIT-Mandi, IIM-Sirmaur and Central University in Kangra, and accused the BJP of falsely taking credit.
