CHANDIGARH: Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Mandi, Pratibha Singh has been appointed as the President of Himachal Pradesh Congress, she is wife of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
Besides appointing Pratibha Singh as Himachal Congress chief, the party has appointed four working presidents, Harsh Mahajan, Rajinder Rana, Vinay Kumar and Pawan Kajal. Meanwhile, Mukesh Agnihotri will stay as Himachal Congress Legislative Party leader and Harshvardhan Chauhan is deputy CLP leader. Former Himachal Congress President and Nadaun MLA Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has been appointed as Chairman of the campaign committee and a member of the screening committee. "It is for the first time working presidents have been appointed by the party in the state congress," said a senior leader.
A few state party leaders are of the opinion that appointing Pratibha Singh as state Congress chief would strengthen the party and the factionalism might come to an end as the dominant group within the party is the former CM’s family. Moreover, they said, the Rajput factor will work in her favour and the most important the sympathy wave given how after the death of former CM Virbhadra Singh last year the state Congress has been a divided lot.
"To win the elections, the Congress with this move has tried to put a united face despite its internal differences," said a party leader.
Sources said that the Congress would not declare a chief ministerial face for the upcoming assembly polls scheduled for later this year as the ruling BJP has already declared sitting Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur as the face of the party.
Meanwhile, Jagat Singh Negi is the chief whip and Dr Rajesh Sharma is the treasurer. Also, former union minister Anand Sharma has been appointed as Chairman of the steering committee and Asha Kumari convenor. Meanwhile Dhaniram Shandil will be the chairman of the Manifesto Committee, Ashish Butail will be the vice-chairman and Rohit Thakur convenor. Adjusting other leaders Kaul Singh Thakur has been named as the Chairman of the coordination committee and Ram Lal Thakur Chairman of the Election Management Committee.