Pratibha Singh Backs New Himachal Congress Chief Vinay Kumar, Says He Will Connect With Youth

A day after the Congress appointed Vinay Kumar as the new president of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), outgoing chief Pratibha Singh said on Sunday that the decision was made with regional and caste considerations in mind, and that Kumar, as a young leader, is well-positioned to connect with the state’s youth.

Speaking to PTI Videos, Singh said, “This appointment has been made thoughtfully. We are grateful to the Congress high command for choosing a young face like Vinay Kumar, who represents Sirmaur district.”

According to party sources, the Congress leadership also emphasized that it has placed its trust in a young leader from a reserved category to head the state unit—significant in a region with a sizeable Dalit population.

Kumar, 47, who previously served as the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, had recently resigned from the post. His resignation was accepted on Saturday by Speaker Kuldeep Pathania.

A three-time Dalit MLA from the Shri Renukaji constituency in Sirmaur district, Kumar was born into a farmer Koali family. His father, Prem Singh, was also a four-time MLA from Renukaji until his death in 2011.

The appointment had been pending for a long time, leaving the hill state without an organized state Congress unit since Singh’s previous committee was dissolved on 6 November last year. With no active local unit for over a year, the Congress in Himachal Pradesh had become largely dormant, with Singh remaining the only functioning PCC chief.

“There is a need to revive the spirit of Congress workers who were left disheartened and inactive due to the delay in appointing a new state unit chief,” Singh said.

“I hope Kumar will take everyone along and meet the expectations of Congress workers,” she added. Singh said she plans to meet Kumar on Monday and convey that inclusive leadership will strengthen the party. She also expressed hope that senior leaders would be given appropriate roles in the organization.

Singh noted that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has long emphasized giving opportunities to young leaders, and Kumar is a strong choice to engage with the youth.

She added that Kumar’s father, Prem Singh, had been close to former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh—her late husband—and that it was the veteran leader who offered Prem Singh’s successor a ticket from Shri Renukaji after his death in 2011.

Kumar, considered close to Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, has represented Renukaji since 2012. He has previously served as Chief Parliamentary Secretary (2012–17) and chaired the Renuka Development Board (2013–17). He was also appointed the working president of the HPCC in April 2022.