Himachal Congress truce remains on shaky ground as disgruntled faction wants grievances addressed

Himachal Congress president Pratibha Singh did not give much weight to party observers' assertion that Sukhu will complete five years in office.

New Delhi: Himachal Congress president Pratibha Singh and her minister-son Vikrmaditya on Friday appeared to remind party central leadership and Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu that the truce arrived at in the state unit is temporary and her faction's grievances need to be addressed at the earliest.

Vikramaditya met the six disqualified Congress MLAs in Haryana's Panchkula on his way to Delhi where he is also scheduled to hold talks with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. 

Sukhu said Vikramaditya had told him about the meeting with MLAs and that he will be meeting Kharge. "We will see what development takes place but there is no threat to the government," he said.

While she did not categorically rule out changing sides saying "God knows what situation will occur in the time to come", Pratibha also did not give much weight to party observers' assertion that Sukhu will complete five years in office. 

"Does it matter what observers say? Observers want this (Sukhu to continue) to happen. It is about what people want and what will happen," she said.

She also said the Congress is on a "weak wicket" while the "BJP is doing a lot of things" and doing it in a "better way". Her son and minister Vikramaditya is learnt to have got in touch with six disqualified MLAs while Pratibha found reason in the disqualified lawmakers going to the court as they have the right to fight for justice. 

Asked about whether BJP would like to field her and Vikramaditya, she said she is not in touch with the BJP but added "God knows what situation will occur in the time to come".

Her public posturing in support of the disqualified MLAs also was a signal to the central leadership that all is still not well in Himachal. Pratibha was in the race for Chief Minister's post but Sukhu pipped her after the Assembly elections in late 2022.

Pratibha's comments, which came a day after central observers managed a compromise, showed that the central leadership will have to take tough calls in the coming days. She said she will be approaching the party High Command, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, to present the political situation in the state.

The three central Congress observers had managed a temporary truce in Himachal after six disgruntled MLAs voted against party nominee in the Rajya Sabha elections putting Sukhu government in trouble. However, Congress swiftly moved to control the damage by disqualifying them.

Bhupinder Hooda, one of the observers, said Pratibha is one of their senior leaders and one should ask her if she had something positive about BJP.