Sunil Chadha
Shimla: After months of speculation and internal wrangling, the Himachal Pradesh Congress may finally announce a new state president within a week, sources within the party confirmed. With a high-level meeting of senior leaders taking place in New Delhi on Monday (August 4, 2025), expectations are high that the long-delayed restructuring of the party’s organisational setup will soon be underway.
The closed-door discussions, held at the Congress headquarters at 24 Akbar Road, were attended by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Himachal in-charge Rajni Patil and the state’s two co-incharges.
From Himachal, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, current state president Pratibha Singh, Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri and several key cabinet ministers participated.
Party insiders revealed that two new names — Education Minister Rohit Thakur and Palampur MLA Ashish Butail — have now emerged as strong contenders for the state president’s post. Previously, Vinay Kumar and Vinod Sultanpuri were leading the race. Rohit Thakur is the grandson of former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Ram Lal while Ashish Butail is the son of former minister and Assembly Speaker BBL Butail.
The developments also signal a clear shift in direction, with indications that Pratibha Singh, who has served as the state chief for the last three years, may not be reappointed.
Leadership vacuum and growing pressure ahead of local polls
The urgency to appoint a new leader comes amid growing pressure from grassroots workers and the looming challenge of panchayat and urban local body elections, scheduled later this year.
With the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee and other organisational units dissolved since November 2024, the state unit has been functioning without block or district-level committees for nine months.
Congress workers across the state have expressed frustration over the absence of a structured leadership network, which they say is hampering election preparedness. Party strategists see the upcoming local body polls as a crucial stepping stone toward a strong showing in the 2027 Assembly elections.
Tensions simmer behind closed doors
According to sources familiar with the meeting, the atmosphere was tense, with senior leaders cautious not to escalate factional tensions in front of the high command. The party remains divided between loyalists of the late Virbhadra Singh, who back Pratibha Singh’s continuation, and supporters of Chief Minister Sukhu, who are advocating for a generational change in leadership.
The Congress high command is reportedly weighing options to strike a balance between the two camps to prevent internal fractures from deepening ahead of the elections.
Cabinet and appointment delays also reviewed
Beyond the party’s organisational matters, the meeting also reviewed pending government appointments. One cabinet berth in the Himachal government remains unfilled and several boards and corporations are yet to receive full-time chairpersons or vice-chairpersons.
With the government having crossed the mid-point of its tenure, discussions also touched upon ministerial performance, raising the possibility of mid-term cabinet reshuffles or other adjustments in the coming weeks.
