Pratibha Singh moves Election Commission against parties using Virbhadra’s name; Yudhvir Bains puts four conditions before shelving ‘Rashtrawadi Veerbhadra Congress’
Munish Sood
Shimla
The political battle over the legacy of former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has entered a new and potentially significant phase, with two developments on Wednesday putting the Congress leadership and the proposed ‘Rashtrawadi Veerbhadra Congress’ in the spotlight.
In one development, former MP and Virbhadra Singh’s wife Pratibha Singh approached the Election Commission of India, seeking that no political party be permitted to register under the name of her late husband or using identities closely associated with him.
At almost the same time, Yudhvir Bains, who has announced the proposed Rashtrawadi Veerbhadra Congress, said the formation of the new party could still be stopped—but only if the Congress high command accepts four specific demands, including the removal of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and two of his close associates from the government.
The two developments have brought the question of who can claim, represent or carry forward Virbhadra Singh’s political legacy to the centre of Himachal Pradesh politics ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Pratibha Singh knocks on Election Commission’s door
In her letter dated October 7 to the Chief Election Commissioner, Pratibha Singh said Virbhadra Singh, who served six terms as Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and was also a Union minister, continues to enjoy a deep public connect and respect in the state.
She said it had come to her notice that attempts were being made to form political parties using names such as ‘Rashtrawadi Veerbhadra Congress’ and ‘Veer Congress’.
Her objection, however, goes beyond the exact use of Virbhadra Singh’s name. She has also raised concerns over proposed political identities incorporating terms such as ‘Raja’, ‘Bushahr’ and ‘Raja Bushahr’, all of which have a direct association with Virbhadra Singh’s historical and political identity.
Pratibha Singh has made it clear that she does not dispute anyone’s legal right to form a political party. Her objection, she says, is specifically to the use of her late husband’s name, reputation and legacy without authorisation.
She has told the Election Commission that neither she nor any member of Virbhadra Singh’s family has given permission for such use.
She has consequently requested the poll panel not to approve the registration of any party carrying Virbhadra Singh’s name or a substantially similar identity, and has sought an opportunity to present her case before any such application is decided.
Bains puts four conditions before Congress
Bains, meanwhile, has presented an entirely different proposition.
According to his statement, former Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha Singh contacted him two days ago and conveyed that there was pressure from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to prevent a split in the party and defer the proposed new political formation.
Bains said he subsequently discussed the matter with Pratibha Singh and conveyed that the proposed party could be stopped if the Congress high command accepted four demands.
The first—and most politically consequential—is the immediate removal of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Sunil Sharma Bittu and Naresh Chauhan from the government.
His second demand is that Congress workers who, according to him, worked extensively for the party’s victory in the 2022 Assembly elections but were subsequently sidelined should be given due recognition and representation in both the government and the organisation.
The third demand concerns the legacy of Virbhadra Singh.
Bains has demanded adequate respect for the former Chief Minister, whom he describes as his guide and a builder of modern Himachal Pradesh.
The fourth demand is for the constitution of a high-level government committee to investigate allegations of corruption against the Chief Minister and his close associates.
Bains has said that if the Congress high command does not accept these demands, he will proceed with the registration of the proposed party before the Election Commission.
He has also declared that the proposed political formation would take Virbhadra Singh’s name, policies and development legacy directly to the people and contest the forthcoming elections.
The political paradox
The latest developments create an unusual political situation.
Bains is seeking to build a new political platform around Virbhadra Singh’s political legacy, while Pratibha Singh is approaching the Election Commission to prevent the use of that legacy in the name of a new party.
At the same time, Pratibha Singh has herself recently voiced dissatisfaction over the alleged omission of Virbhadra Singh’s photograph and references to his contribution during Chief Minister Sukhu’s programmes in Rohru. She questioned how the former Chief Minister could be forgotten so soon, particularly in a region with which he had a long political association. (The Times of India)
That has added another layer to the ongoing debate within Himachal Congress over Virbhadra Singh’s place in the party’s political narrative.
Congress faces a three-way pressure point
The developments have effectively brought three separate questions into the political arena.
First, will the Congress high command respond to Bains’s four demands, particularly his demand for changes in the state government?
Second, will the Election Commission entertain Pratibha Singh’s objections and what legal position will it take on the proposed use of Virbhadra Singh’s name and associated identities?
Third, how will the Congress handle the broader political question of Virbhadra Singh’s legacy at a time when the party is preparing for the 2027 Assembly elections?
For Bains, the issue is about creating a political alternative that he says will carry forward Virbhadra Singh’s policies and legacy.
For Pratibha Singh, the issue is about protecting the identity and reputation of her late husband and preventing what she considers unauthorised political appropriation of his name.
The dispute therefore goes beyond the proposed registration of one political party. It has opened a larger debate over political inheritance, party leadership and ownership of the Virbhadra Singh legacy in Himachal Pradesh.
The timing makes the confrontation particularly significant. Pratibha Singh’s latest intervention comes after her public criticism over the treatment of Virbhadra Singh’s legacy at recent government programmes, while Bains is simultaneously threatening to take the proposed political formation to the Election Commission if his demands are not accepted.
With the 2027 Assembly elections approaching, the question of who speaks for the Virbhadra legacy—and under what political banner—could become an important fault line in Himachal Pradesh politics.
For now, however, the positions are clear: Bains says the proposed party can be stopped if his four demands are accepted; Pratibha Singh says Virbhadra Singh’s name and legacy cannot be used for a new political party without the family’s consent.
The next move now rests with the Congress leadership and, on the question of party registration and nomenclature, the Election Commission.
