In a swift organisational move, Congress dissolves party unit in Himachal

Shimla: In a first step to revamp the Congress’ organisational structure in Himachal Pradesh, the AICC has dissolved the state PCC unit along with all the DCCs and block Congress committees with immediate effect.

Only president Pratibha Singh will continue to function till formation of the new body, said a senior official of the party.

Pratibha, a former Mandi MP and wife of late Virbhadra Singh was appointed as the state Congress president ahead of the Assembly polls in 2022 to give the party a new look.

After the formation of the Congress government under Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, there has been an air of unease surrounding the two. Even through the AICC accommodated some of the loyalists of Sukhu in the organisation, including his chief parliamentary secretary Sanjay Awasthi as the working president.

It’s believed despite the PCC, DCCs and block committees loaded with office-bearers numbering 80 to 100 in some cases, the party was seeking to hold on to the state from an organisational point of view.

Even during the MLAs revolt and cross voting by six party rebels for BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidate Harsh Mahajan, Virbhadra had a different view on the reasons for this rebellion.

Pratibha had openly accused Sukhu of not accommodating some of the organisational men in the government which had led to disillusionment in the ranks including Mandi — where she was a sitting MP till the previous Lok Sabha polls.

Most of the recommendations she had made for appointment of persons from the organisation in the government as chairmen and vice-chairmen were not accepted despite the party’s high command endorsing her.