Shinde on mission Himachal

Ahead of the November elections, Congress has got cracking in Himachal Pradesh by putting its faction-ridden state unit in order.
 
The task to end factionalism was handed over to two-time Maharashtra Chief Minister and former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who was appointed as the AICC General Secretary in-charge of Himachal Pradesh.
 
Shinde's immediate task was to assure a harried Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh that the assembly elections would be contested under his leadership and ensure peace with the rival faction headed by Himachal Congress President Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu.
 
The 83-year-old chief minister, into his sixth term in office, is raring to have another go at power unwilling to cede any space to Sukhu, who has had a grip over the party organisation in the state.
 
“Sukhu has already visited Virbhadra Singh's home, the chief minister will reciprocate by visiting the state Congress chief's residence,” Shinde said hoping that peace would prevail until the elections were over.
 
Congress leaders believe that more than the BJP, the challenge posed by the rival factions within the state unit could prove to be its undoing in the coming elections.
 
Shinde has embarked on a six-day visit to the hill-state to assess the ground situation of the Congress at a time when the BJP is making aggressive moves by aiming to win 50 seats in the 68-member assembly.
 
Singh has already announced that the upcoming election would be his last and made an emotional appeal to the electorate to re-elect the Congress. However, the task is not an easy one as the chief minister battles allegations of corruption and disproportionate assets. The recent incident of gang rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl on the outskirts of Shimla has raised questions on governance and law and order situation in the state.
 
Shinde's friendly relations with Singh that date back to 1993 when the former was in-charge of Himachal and the latter became chief minister for the third time in the hill state.