No end to Himachal political crisis as PWD Minister Vikramaditya meets Priyanka Gandhi in Delhi, CM Sukhu claims support of 80% Congress MLAs
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TNR Desk
The ongoing political turmoil in Himachal Pradesh shows no signs of abating. Even as embattled Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu claims that 80 per cent of the Congress MLAs were with him and assured that his government would complete its five-year term, Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh continues to camp in Delhi.
Vikramaditya is learnt to have met top Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal in Delhi where he briefed them on the political developments in the state. He provided a comprehensive report on the unfolding political landscape and advocated for the six disqualified Congress MLAs, elucidating the circumstances of their rebellion and the potential benefits of their reinstatement within the organisation.
He is also scheduled to meet other leaders in Delhi to discuss various issues, including the coordination between the government and the party. The Congress high command may provide information about the coordination committee on Monday regarding the coordination between the government and party organisation.
On Saturday, Vikramaditya appeared in court in Rajasthan’s Udaipur concerning a case and returned to Delhi late in the evening. Despite initially planning to return to Shimla on Sunday, he remained in Delhi to seek meetings with party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders. However, due to the presence of Rahul Gandhi and the national president at a grand alliance rally in Patna, these meetings were delayed.
In the meantime, disqualified MLA Rajinder Rana has expressed readiness to pursue legal avenues, indicating that the doors of the court were open, with a power of attorney signed and plans to approach the Supreme Court by Monday or Tuesday. Rana highlighted discontent among several MLAs, criticising Chief Minister Sukhu’s actions in their Assembly constituencies and stressing the need for the government to prioritise job creation over distributing handouts to address unemployment.
Regarding efforts to resolve the political crisis in Himachal Pradesh, the party high command had dispatched former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar to the state. Despite discussions about forming a coordination committee comprising Chief Minister Sukhu, state president Pratibha Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri and three other members, the committee is yet to be established.
