Himachal: Bitterness in the 'Sweet Relations' within Congress

In a time when the Congress party is facing challenges across country, retaining power in a small state like Himachal Pradesh is vital.

- Dr. Rachna Gupta

But doing so will require handling “pressure groups” within the party. If the already battered organization is not handed over fully to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu, it will be nearly impossible to save it from internal factionalism.

The current unrest surrounding the appointment of a new party president, instead of dissolving the state unit, has brought the party’s internal conflicts out into the open. Indiscipline within the organization has gone unchecked, and different factions are publicly attacking each other. This discord largely stems from internal appointments, and the open defiance by Sukhu’s rival group has become a serious concern for the party. All eyes are now on the Gandhi family to tackle the situation with political wisdom.

The truth is, during Sukhu’s tenure as CM, the rival faction wants control over the organization. His rivalry with former CM Virbhadra Singh was not hidden. However, the high command appointed Sukhu as CM and made Virbhadra’s wife, Pratibha Singh, the party president. They tried to strike a balance by appointing an ambitious third leader, Mukesh Agnihotri, as Deputy CM. But that balance did not hold. The party was derailed by personal political ambitions. As the high command weakens nationwide, local leaders are emboldened and continue to challenge central leadership.