Vinay Kumar Takes Charge as Himachal Congress President, Says HPCC Will Be Reconstituted in 2–3 Months

Vinay Kumar has taken charge as the new president of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), announcing that the dissolved state unit will be reconstituted within the next two to three months.

Kumar formally received the charge from outgoing HPCC chief Pratibha Singh at a ceremony held at the Congress headquarters today.

From left: Former state Congress president Pratibha Singh, newly appointed HPCC chief Vinay Kumar, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Speaker Kuldeep Pathania and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri at the party headquarters in Shimla on Sunday.

Addressing party workers amid applause from Chief Minister Sukhu, Deputy CM Agnihotri, Pratibha Singh, Cabinet ministers, AICC officials, former HPCC chiefs and a large gathering of supporters, the three-time MLA from Renukaji said, “We will build a team that will take the government’s programmes and policies to the people. Once the team is in place, we will begin preparing for the 2027 Assembly elections to repeat our 2022 success.”

Reiterating that he shares strong relations with all senior leaders, Kumar said he would work collectively and inclusively in his role as state party chief. Seeking support from the Chief Minister and Deputy CM, the 47-year-old added, “I will be the voice of party workers and act as a bridge between the party and the government.”

Congratulating Pratibha Singh for her tenure and Kumar for his new responsibility, Chief Minister Sukhu assured that the government would stand firmly with the new party president as he rebuilds the organisation for the 2027 battle against the BJP.

Outgoing president Pratibha Singh, while congratulating Kumar, expressed dissatisfaction over the prolonged delay in reorganising the dissolved HPCC, which has remained inactive for over a year. “I raised this issue several times with the central leadership, yet the delay continued. It should have happened much earlier. Without an organisation, holding rallies and protests becomes difficult. Now that we have a new president, the committee must be revived soon,” she said.

Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri also voiced concern over the uncertainty surrounding the state unit’s reorganisation. “The situation has been unclear for a year. We must form the HPCC quickly and bring in people who are willing to work and dedicate time to the party,” he said. While congratulating Kumar, Agnihotri added that the new chief comes from former CM Y.S. Parmar’s constituency and will carry forward his legacy.

AICC in-charge for Himachal Pradesh, Ranjeet Patil, praised the work done under Pratibha Singh’s leadership and said the Sukhu–Kumar partnership would further strengthen the party.