CHANDIGARH: Himachal Pradesh PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh on Wednesday resigned from the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu cabinet saying “the Congress MLAs were humiliated”, but later in the evening he took back his resignation in the “larger interest” of the party. Singh’s resignation came a day after six Congress MLAs cross-voted in Rajya Sabha elections, resulting in an embarrassing defeat of party candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
After announcing his resignation, Vikramaditya Singh, son of six-time former CM Virbhadra Singh and Himachal Congress president Pratibha Singh, called for looking into the reasons why the Congress government was on the brink when the party had a full majority. “Humiliation won’t be tolerated, now the party high command has to decide where Congress is headed next in Himachal,” he said.
“I have to admit that Virbhadra Singh who remained six-time CM was denied space for his statue. The man who lived for Himachal was humiliated. Is this how much they respect my father?’’ he asked. Singh said the party MLAs had been sidelined and there was fiscal mismanagement, and all these issues had been raised with the high command.
“This situation has arisen as the high command had failed to take note of it and take corrective action. I am a disciplined member of the party, so I know where to draw the line.”
Reacting to Singh’s resignation, CM Sukhu had said, “I have spoken with Vikramaditya Singh and he is my younger brother. There is no reason to accept his resignation. He has some grievances that will be solved.’’ After withdrawing his resignation, Singh said that it is the responsibility of every individual to strengthen the party.
“In the larger interest and unity of the party, I would not like to press my resignation further. The CM refused to accept it. There is no danger to the government it was just a creation.’’ Harish Thakur, a professor at Himachal Pradesh University said, “Since the formation of the government a sizable section of the party were unhappy over the distribution of portfolios.”
Unhappy MLAs
Since the formation of the Congress government, a sizable section of the Congress, mostly MLAs from Kangra and Hamirpur, were unhappy over distribution of portfolios and overlooking of their seniority.