Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Congress unit chief Pratibha Singh has expressed her displeasure for not having a say in cabinet expansion and appointments to boards and corporations, saying that she was feeling “sidelined and hurt”.
Singh and her son Vikramaditya Singh met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge last Thursday evening in New Delhi and raised the issue of lack of coordination among party workers and the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led party government.
“We need to devise a mechanism to ensure coordination among the government and the party. This is required as we have made promises to the people of the state. Besides, thousands of party workers worked hard to ensure victory in the 2022 elections. Coordination between the party and the government is required so that workers are not demoralised,” Singh told ThePrint.
The PCC chief was a contender for the chief minister’s post after the Congress win in December last, but Sukhu took the coveted post with Mukesh Agnihotri as his deputy. Later, Vikramaditya was given charge of the public works department and the youth services and sports in January.
This is not the first time that Pratibha Singh has expressed her displeasure. During her tour of Anni assembly segment in Kullu district in May, she said that some people are trying to demolish the legacy of her late husband, Virbhadra Singh.
On 3 January, Congress held an Aabhar Rally in Dharamshala in Kangra district. Pratibha Singh was upset with the state leadership not crediting Virbhadra Singh for the Congress’ journey in Himachal Pradesh. “None is going to live forever, but his contribution should not be forgotten,” she had said, addressing the rally.
Then in March, when Sukhu and his ministers constantly accused the BJP of leaving the coffers empty in the state, the Congress state chief had said that Raja Sahab (read, her husband) would not have done this. The CM should think about how to move forward and revive the state economy, she added.
At Thursday’s meeting with Kharge, the PCC chief is said to have flagged the issue of cabinet expansion and appointments in boards and corporations in Himachal.
“Party leaders, legislators, workers who are aspiring for ministerial berths or the posts of chairman, vice-chairman of boards and corporations met the PCC chief and she could only assure them. How long can you give an assurance to a party worker who worked hard during elections? She had to talk to the Congress high command as party leaders and workers are getting demoralised now,” a senior Congress functionary — close to Pratibha Singh — told ThePrint.
He added that the PCC chief has apprised Kharge that she and several other workers are ‘hurt’.
The Congress state chief had given a list of leaders to be “adjusted” in boards and corporations in May but the list remain unaddressed, according to the party functionary. “Same is the fate of works. She has given or forwarded representation of workers to the government for necessary action, but (there has been) no response.”
The Himachal Congress chief, too, did not deny the point made by the party functionary as she asserted that it was her “duty” to communicate the sentiments of party workers.
“I met several party workers, leaders daily. They speak what they are facing, be it good or bad. This is my duty to represent their voice before the high command. I can’t keep assuring them of proper representation in the government or about some other work and do nothing about it. This is not Virbhadra Singh’s family’s style of politics,” she told ThePrint. “I feel sidelined and hurt.”
“Before the 2022 election, the then ruling BJP was talking about repeating its win. The Congress party got united; workers worked hard to bring our party to power. Those loyal, true Congress workers should be rewarded. This will be a grave injustice with them if we fail to do this,” she said. “I will also meet Rahul ji, Priyanka ji and K.C. Venugopal ji to discuss issues.”
A legislator from Kangra district, who is hoping to find a place in the Himachal cabinet, told ThePrint that the PCC chief has a valid point. “Whenever the government comes, the party leaders, workers who give their sweat and blood are appointed as chairman and vice-chairman of boards and corporations. But, several new things have happened this time in the name of Vyavastha Parivartan (regime change),” he said.
Even as chief minister’s media advisor Naresh Chauhan claimed that there are no differences within the party as well as the government, a Congress leader owing allegiance to Sukhu conceded to the rumblings within a section of the party.
“There have been some appointments of CM’s loyalists as chairman and vice-chairman of boards and corporations. This has upset many sections, especially those eyeing the posts,” the Congress leader said.
In the 68-member state assembly, Himachal can have 12 ministers, including the chief minister While Sukhu is leading the government, the state has one deputy CM and seven cabinet ministers. Several MLAs have been lobbying for the remaining three ministerial berths.
Chander Kumar is the lone minister from Kangra district, which has elected 10 of the total 40 Congress MLAs. Three days after the induction of seven ministers on 7 January, Pratibha Singh had told the media that she would talk to CM Sukhu about giving representation to the “less represented areas”.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: Six months in, Sukhu-led Congress govt in Himachal faces a grim fiscal outlook