Munish Sood
MANDI: At a rally meant to showcase unity and strength, the Himachal Pradesh Congress on Thursday (December 11, 2025) found itself answering uncomfortable questions. Even as Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu declared that he would “arrive in a Volvo with 52 MLAs, not an Alto” after the 2027 polls — his sharpest retort yet to ex-CM Jai Ram Thakur — the conspicuous absence of Virbhadra Singh’s family from the government’s three-year anniversary event and the missing posters of the late Congress stalwart cast a long shadow over the celebration.
At Mandi’s Paddal Ground, giant hoardings displayed the faces of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mallikarjun Kharge, CM Sukhu, AICC in-charge Rajni Patil and newly appointed PCC chief Vinay Kumar. Only two posters featured Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri. But what stood out was what was missing: no posters of Virbhadra Singh, the six-time CM whose legacy still commands enormous emotional weight in Himachal’s Congress circles.
Compounding the optics, Virbhadra’s son and widow, PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh and former state Congress chief Pratibha Singh, didn’t attend the mega rally. Their absence has revived talk of the longstanding factional fault lines between the Sukhu camp and the iconic Holly Lodge faction.
Absence of Vikramaditya, Pratibha sparks speculation
While party sources maintain that Vikramaditya is abroad, many in the organisation believe Pratibha Singh’s absence could have been avoided. This dual absence from the government’s biggest public outreach event of the year has intensified speculation of internal tensions resurfacing.
The rivalry between the two camps is older than the Sukhu government itself. Virbhadra Singh once publicly accused Sukhu of being a “blackmailer”, while Sukhu, then aligned with the Vidya Stokes faction, was often seen as a counterweight to Virbhadra’s dominance in state politics. Even after the 2022 elections, the relationship between the two groups remained uneasy.
Both factions came face to face over statue row
In 2024, Vikramaditya Singh nearly resigned from the Cabinet, accusing the government of creating hurdles in installing his father’s statue at Shimla’s Ridge. The situation escalated before being resolved, but many believe the episode left deep scars. The statue has since been installed, yet the trust deficit between the CM’s supporters and the Virbhadra loyalists remains palpable.
With both Vikramaditya and Pratibha missing today’s event, party insiders admit the optics are “unavoidable and politically telling”.
Amid the murmurs of internal rift, CM Sukhu launched a fiery political attack on the BJP. Taking direct aim at Jai Ram Thakur’s earlier mockery of his Alto car, Sukhu said: “Let them laugh at my Alto. In 2027, we will win 52 seats and come to the Assembly in a Volvo.” The crowd roared as Sukhu framed the next election as a battle for both dignity and development.
He accused the Centre of delaying disaster funds, claiming the state received Rs 2,000 crore only after two years of devastating rains. “We rehabilitated every disaster-hit family. We changed rules and offered the best relief package in the country,” he said.
Old factional lines re-emerge amid show of strength
The ‘Jan Sankalp Sammelan’ had been planned as a grand display of unity in Mandi — Jai Ram Thakur’s stronghold where the Congress suffered major losses in 2022. The ground was lined with posters highlighting the Sukhu government’s achievements. Senior ministers supervised preparations and thousands were mobilised from all districts.
But the absence of the Virbhadra family — and the notable exclusion of the late leader’s images — has left the party grappling with a narrative it didn’t plan for, said an analyst.
Party insiders admit privately that the Holly Lodge faction’s non-attendance is “not routine” and reflects unresolved power tussles over organisational restructuring, future roles and political positioning ahead of 2027.
