Shimla: Queering the pitch for the Congress in Himachal, Pratibha Singh, president of the party’s state unit and Mandi MP, has opted out of the electoral contest, saying that the party’s chances are not that strong in the Lok Sabha polls. This, Congress leaders tell ThePrint, is another attempt by former CM Virbhadra Singh’s family to make their displeasure with the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government obvious.
Pratibha Singh, wife of late Virbhadra Singh, said that Congress workers are demoralised. “You can’t win elections by merely distributing MPLAD funds. You win elections due to workers. Our workers are demoralised,” she told media persons in Shimla Wednesday.
“I have visited my constituency. I don’t think we will be able to achieve much success. I have decided to withdraw my name. Due to the disqualification of six MLAs, bypolls are to be held in Himachal Pradesh. These polls are crucial for our government. It’s my responsibility that we win those. I can’t limit myself to Mandi only,” she added.
The bypolls for the state’s six Assembly seats will be held on 1 June.
On why workers are “demoralised”, she said it’s natural for them to be upset since [Sukhu and his government] don’t listen to them. “This situation would not have happened if [they] would have talked to them and resolved their issues,” she said.
Pratibha Singh’s decision to not contest has dealt a blow to an already-struggling Congress in Himachal. The party and the government were already grappling with a political crisis following Abhishek Manu Singhvi’s loss to BJP’s Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha despite the Congress holding a majority. Adding to the turmoil, six Congress MLAs cross-voted in favour of the BJP during the budget vote, dwindling the Congress’ numbers from 40 to 34 in the 68-member House.
Amid all this, Pratibha Singh and her son, state minister Vikramaditya Singh, have been criticising the government over perceived insults to Virbhadra’s legacy. Following Congress’ Rajya Sabha defeat, Vikramaditya offered his resignation in a press conference the next day.
A senior Congress leader and former minister told ThePrint that such a statement by a senior leader is detrimental to the party. “If she does not want to contest, she should have told this to the party high command. There was no need to go to the media with all these statements. We all know the party is going through a rough phase and a party president saying that we won’t get success, will aggravate the crisis,” he told ThePrint.
A cabinet minister, requesting anonymity, said, “Pratibha SinghJi should help the party to put a united face. Recently, the party high command had sent observers to the state and she had raised her issues. On her assertion, the party formed a coordination panel. This was a demand she had earlier raised with Kharge as well. Now, I don’t see any reasons for her to give such statements.”
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‘Congress’s prospects in Mandi weakened’
Pratibha Singh has given a series of interviews to the media, blaming the government for the ongoing crisis.
According to her, there was a demand to change the chief minister, which was turned down by the party’s high command.
She had also met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in July last year and raised the issue of lack of coordination among party workers and the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government, but says she has been “sidelined” in the party.
Virbhadra Singh’s family was one of the claimants for the CM post in Himachal when Congress won the assembly polls in 2022. However, the party’s high command chose Sukhu. The family and its supporters have been visibly annoyed since.
A party MLA close to the family said that, compared to the Virbhadra regime, the working of the Sukhu-led government is not that smooth. “By ignoring Virbhadra loyalists, this government will achieve nothing,” he told ThePrint.
Pratibha’s statements Wednesday have given the BJP a chance to sharpen its attack on the ruling party. Former CM and leader of opposition Jai Ram Thakur said the Congress is not finding candidates for the general elections. “Not only in Himachal, but many leaders (in different states) are withdrawing their candidature. Here, the party state president is reluctant and admitting that the party will not win the elections,” Thakur told ThePrint.
In Himachal, the Mandi Lok Sabha seat is a stronghold of the Virbhadra family.
Speaking to ThePrint, political analyst M.P.S. Rana told ThePrint that Pratibha Singh was the strongest candidate from Mandi in the Congress.
“Her opting out from the Lok Sabha fray has weakened the party’s prospects in Mandi. A party president saying that workers are demoralised and chances of victory are weak is something that should not have come at this point of time,” he added.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)