Pratibha Singh: Everything Is Still Not Right In Himachal Congress, Differences Of Opinion Come To The Fore, Political Equations Changed In Mandi.
![Himachal Pradesh Congress President Pratibha Singh. - Photo: diary times archives](https://diarytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Himachal-Pradesh-Congress-President-Pratibha-Singh.-Photo-diary-times-archives.jpg)
Himachal Pradesh Congress President Pratibha Singh. - Photo: diary times archives
Reported & Written By Kumud Sharma, Diary Times, Shimla, March 21: Everything is still not going well in Himachal Pradesh Congress. Dissensions have again come to the fore in Himachal Pradesh Congress. Himachal Pradesh Congress President Pratibha Singh on Wednesday has surrounded her own people by raising the issue of honor and respect of Congress party workers by arguing to save the Congress government. Despite respect from the Congress Party high command, Pratibha Singh attitude has not softened. Pratibha Singh changed stance has put the Congress high command in a dilemma before the Lok Sabha elections. The political equations in Mandi parliamentary constituency have also changed with the announcement of Pratibha Singh, who won the by-election from Mandi parliamentary constituency during the Jairam government in the year 2021, to withdraw from the election contest.
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Congress is already entangled in the search for strong candidates in Hamirpur, Kangra and Shimla parliamentary constituencies. The cold war between the two factions of Congress is going on since the results of the assembly elections in December 2022. Pratibha Singh has been having differences and discord with the Sukhu government of the Congress ever since Hollylodge (the private residence of former Chief Minister late Virbhadra Singh) lost power in Himachal Pradesh, which was the power house of the Congress for many years.
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Pratibha Singh, MP from Mandi parliamentary constituency, has been expressing her displeasure many times from public forums to the Congress party high command by raising the issue of her supporters not getting appointments in the Himachal Pradesh government. Pratibha Singh has also held the Sukhu government responsible for the rebellion of six disqualified Congress MLAs. Now, before the candidates for the Lok Sabha elections were decided, Pratibha Singh has suddenly put the Congress party in big trouble by announcing that she will not contest from the Mandi parliamentary seat.
Read More: Himachal Politics: Legal Complications Over Disqualified Congress MLAs Joining BJP, Know The Whole Matter
Now the time has come for Congress to do homework afresh to find a new candidate to replace the current MP from Mandi parliamentary constituency, Pratibha Singh. On the other hand, Himachal Pradesh Congress President son and cabinet minister Vikramaditya Singh was also vocal against the Sukhu government in the past and had also resigned from the post of PWD minister. After this, Vikramaditya Singh, along with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, had also talked about the complete strengthening of the Congress government. What will be the next step of Pratibha Singh in the changed political circumstances after not contesting the elections. Many speculations are being made regarding this.
Pratibha Singh has been active in Mandi parliamentary constituency for one year –
Pratibha Singh has been seen fully active in Mandi parliamentary seat since last one year. Her son and cabinet minister Vikramaditya Singh has also been making frequent visits to Mandi parliamentary constituency. Now after Pratibha Singh announcement of not contesting the elections, what will be Vikramaditya Singh attitude towards Mandi parliamentary constituency? Eyes are fixed on this also. On the other hand, Pratibha Singh has tried to show herself as a leader dedicated to the Congress party by arguing that she should focus completely on the by-elections to keep the Sukhu government in majority. Now along with Congress, BJP is also keeping an eye on how Pratibha Singh functioning will be in the coming days.
After Pratibha Singh refusal, equations changed for BJP in Mandi parliamentary seat –
After Pratibha Singh refusal, the equations of BJP’s candidate selection for Mandi seat have also changed. Now BJP will brainstorm afresh regarding the candidate here. The panel of candidates has been sent to the central leadership of BJP targeting the candidature of Pratibha from Congress. Congress Himachal Pradesh President Pratibha Singh announced that she will not contest the elections. If the Congress high command does not field her due to Pratibha Singh refusal, then in that situation the criteria of candidate selection process will change for BJP also.
BJP may announce the Mandi ticket with some further delay. In the panel sought from Himachal Pradesh BJP, names of Jairam Thakur, Ajay Rana and Bihari Lal Sharma have been sent from Mandi parliamentary seat. After the current political turmoil, it is believed that Jairam Thakur may not be a candidate. He can be kept active only in the politics of Himachal Pradesh. The names of Ajay Rana and Bihari Lal Sharma have been in discussion. At the same time, names of Brigadier Khushal Chand, former MP Maheshwar Singh, Ajay Jamwal, who had contested elections in the past, are also in discussion.
On the other hand, due to lack of clarity on the situation regarding Congress rebels, BJP ticket is stuck in Kangra also. There is a discussion that BJP can consider Sudhir Sharma from here, but like other rebels, Sudhir Sharma has also not revealed his cards whether BJP has talked to him on this issue or not.
Also Read: Lok Sabha Election: Pratibha Singh Refused To Contest Elections From Mandi Parliamentary Seat
![Kumud Sharma](https://diarytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1680453061615.jpg)
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