TNR News Network
Shimla
Factionalism within the Himachal Pradesh Congress has stalled the appointment of Shimla-Rural district party president, even as the high command has already finalised chiefs in 11 other districts. Along with Shimla-Rural, the appointment is also stuck up in Kinnaur.
With an unusually large number of contenders and competing power centres pulling in different directions, the leadership is struggling to strike a balance before putting its stamp on the two remaining districts.
Shimla-Rural alone has over 20 aspirants for the post, while Kinnaur has four, making consensus difficult. Several claimants are aligned with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s camp, others are seen as close to the influential Holly Lodge faction, while a few enjoy direct access to senior central leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, in Delhi. This complex web of loyalties has turned the selection process into a high-stakes political puzzle.
Sources say the delay is largely due to the strong and rival claims of leaders such as Deepak Rathore and former Youth Congress leader Nigam Bhandari, whose influence in Delhi has made the high command cautious about rushing a decision. As a result, Shimla-Rural in particular has emerged as the biggest unresolved flashpoint in the organisational rejig.
The contest in Shimla-Rural has reached an interesting stage, with four prominent names doing the rounds:
Deepak Rathore, from the Theog Assembly segment, is considered a strong contender due to his long association with Rahul Gandhi’s team and his work with the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj organisation. He had earlier been given the Congress ticket in 2017 despite resistance from the Holly Lodge camp, a move that underlines his standing with the high command. Party insiders claim his candidature is a key reason why the announcement has been held back.
Rupesh Kanwar, hailing from the Kumarsain area, is seen as a confidant of former state Congress president Pratibha Singh, who has actively backed his name for the post.
Sudhir Azad, a two-time councillor from Shimla, is known to be close to Chief Minister Sukhu and has worked alongside him in the Youth Congress. The Chief Minister is said to have pitched Azad’s name strongly.
Yashpal Tanaik, an SC leader from the Choupal Assembly constituency, is also emerging as a serious claimant. Sources said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and state party chief Vinay Kumar have extended support to his candidature.
Kinnaur also caught in crossfire
The situation in Kinnaur is equally complicated. According to party insiders, a direct face-off has emerged between state minister Jagat Singh Negi and former state Youth Congress president Nigam Bhandari. While Negi has pushed the names of Umesh Negi, Prem Kumar and Nirmal Chand, Bhandari himself is seen as a strong aspirant.
However, Bhandari is currently serving as a national secretary of the Youth Congress and is in charge of the Karnataka Youth Congress. In view of this, he has also proposed Ram Singh Negi’s name. Minister Jagat Negi, sources say, is unwilling to accept either of these suggestions, leaving the high command in a bind.
