Shimla: After defeat the conflicts in the Congress party in Himachal Pradesh has risen above the name of party. Today, the party had another fallout as the state party’s president Viplove Thakur, resigned.
The reason for her resignation is assumed that she had laid the blame of the defeat at the government’s door to which Virbhadra Singh had retorted by saying that the defeat is a joint responsibility and no one can be blamed for it. He had gone onto say that he has resigned and so should the party’s president in order to show responsibility for the party’s defeat in state assembly elections and accept people’s verdict.
R.K. Dhawan party’s incharge for Himachal stated that her resignation has been accepted but she is asked to continue in the office till another is appointed.
Apart from this resignation there was an election of new CLP (Congress Legislature Party) Leader. Unable to settle on younger leadership, the congress today picked up the octogenarian Vidya Stokes to head the congress legislature party in the new assembly. She is a legislator from Kumarsain constituency and has previously been speaker of the state assembly.
Sources averred that former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and a majority of others wanted Kaul Singh Thakur as the new CLP leader but it was not before the legislators. However, sensing the negative situation, Virbhadra is reported to have withdrawn the name of Kaul Singh from the contest.
Thus, Stokes was declared the unanimous choice to be made the leader of the congress legislator party.
The election was held in the presence of all India Congress committee member and party incharge for Himachal R.K Dhawan.
The election was held as former CM Virbhadra Singh had declined to head the party in the new house.
Raised in Shimla and originally from Mandi district, Disha wears many caps which includes being part of a lead team of a fast growing IT company based out of Chandigarh. Earlier Disha was associated with My Himachal and visits Shimla regularly.
A leader to watch out in future is Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu who has won from Nadaun in Hamirpur. He got the ticket last time being a president of Youth Congress and won the seat due to the anti-BJP wave at that time. But this time when there was a BJP wave in the state and the present CM won by a margin of 26000 votes in the same district, to save his seat in the same pocket of influence is a major feat and shows his first victory has not been a fluke.
Sukhu bhai, as he is affectinately called, has come a long way from his NSUI days at Shimla when his area of influence used to be Chotta Shimla. It would be interesting how he fares in future. In adjoining Baijnath, Sudheer Sharma was also able to retain his seat but then he had an organisational set up already in place as his father the Late Sant Ram was one of the stalwart of the Congress in the state. Sukhu has single handedly marked his presence in Nadaun. For the Congress he is a young leader to be watched in future.
The most interesting feature of this election is the entry of more youngsters in Vidhan Sabha. They can will definitely be more enterprising than the aged leaders, who live in an illusion by assuming the politics as their profession and career for the whole life.
most of the youngsters fought election were son of existing stalwarts. politics in state is becoming family private property. No chance for new comers.
No doubt Vidya stokes is one of the most respected leader of Congress ,continously working for the state and party from the last 40 years .By becoming the unanimous state president I am really sure that she will boost the party moral and will gave new heights to the congress at himachal .but still leader like Kaul Singh should not be ignored and the party should work as a team .But i am sure that al these leaders share a good chemistry and they will rigrously work to strengthn the party posistion in Himachal