Congress State Chief Should Be from Scheduled Caste or Cabinet: CM Sukhu

Shimla, August 8: The buzz over a new Himachal Pradesh Congress president is growing louder. While state Congress chief Pratibha Singh has already hinted at stepping down, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has also confirmed that the party will soon have a new state president.

The Chief Minister said that all party leaders have conveyed their views to the high command. He personally suggested that the position should go either to a leader from the Scheduled Castes or to a member of the state cabinet. “Whoever is appointed will have the responsibility of strengthening the organisation,” he added.

Sukhu said that meaningful discussions on the appointment had been held with the party high command and the process could take up to two months. Following the appointment of the new Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief, Himachal may also see a cabinet expansion and reshuffle. “All of us will work together in unity to strengthen the party,” he said.

Responding to BJP’s criticism over the introduction of a state lottery, the Chief Minister pointed out that several BJP-ruled states already operate lotteries. He clarified that tickets for the state-run lottery will be sold only online, not in shops. “People will buy tickets voluntarily; there will be no compulsion,” he said.

On a query regarding BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma—who left Congress—and his donation of ₹51 lakh to disaster-affected families on his birthday, the Chief Minister remarked, “It needs to be checked whether this is the same money he received for switching parties. We will investigate whether the funds came from his own account or elsewhere.”