Himachal CM to lead poll campaign

Cong. makes an about-turn, replaces Sukhvinder Sukhu with Virbhadra Singh

Virbhadra Singh

On Tuesday, the Congress cancelled a ‘special press conference’ at the party headquarters here without giving a reason.

Apart from signalling the party’s preparedness to take on the BJP in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, it was also meant to bring together Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Sukhvinder Sukhu, for a photo op and send the image of a united party ahead of the election.

Factional fight

Former Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, tasked with selecting the Congress’s Himachal candidates, was supposed to join in. But that was not to be as a factional fight erupted once again.

Sources close to Mr. Singh said the party had to cancel the briefing after the Himachal Chief Minister changed his mind.

“Since the party had made Mr. Sukhu as the campaign chief, the CM decided against addressing the media,” said an aide of Mr. Singh.

The Congress’s communication wing has offered no explanation why the press conference was cancelled. However, sources said, hours before the press conference, the Himachal CM called up communication chief Randeep Surjewala and cited a meeting with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to excuse himself.

“They were to make a presentation at the press conference but they were not ready. Without being vetted by Randeep ji , we couldn’t use the presentation. They bungled up and are now coming up with excuses for keeping away,” said a member of the Congress media wing.

However, Mr. Singh’s sulk seemed to have worked. By Tuesday evening, the high command replaced Mr. Sukhu with Mr. Virbhadra Singh as campaign chief. Promptly, the CM addressed the media but at Himachal Sadan, a State government property in Delhi, to sound his battle cry Jawab Dega Himachal (Himachal will give a fitting reply) to take on the BJP.