New Delhi [India], April 27 (ANI): Former Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Kuldeep Rathore on Wednesday is in full agreement with the Congress’s decision to change the state leadership, stating that the change is for the betterment of the party in the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled later this year.
In major decisions taken by Congress high command on Tuesday, Pratibha Virbhadra Singh has been appointed as the chief of the party’s state unit and Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu as chairman of the campaign committee.
“I have been replaced by Pratibha Singh, who is now the state Congress chief. the high command has taken the decision of making Pratibha Singh as the president of the state for the betterment of the party in the upcoming elections in Himachal Pradesh,” he said.
“But now Pratibha Singh has been made the President, so we will all work together for Himachal Pradesh Congress and there is no estrangement between us,” the former Congress chief added.
Further elaborating about his achievements during his tenure, Rathore said, “Since I was made the state president, under my leadership the party won all the bye-elections in the state. We did not allow any factionalism in the state Congress.”
Under Rathore’s leadership, Congress won two out of four municipal elections. Along with this the party also won one Lok Sabha by-election and three assembly by-elections in Himachal Pradesh.
Giving clarification on his Delhi’s visit, the Congress leader said, he has come here to discuss the political situation in Himachal.
“My son’s wedding is on May 22 and I had come to invite Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi as well as there was a political discussion regarding Himachal,” he said.
More significant changes have been made in the party considering the crucial polls as Harshvardhan Chauhan is appointed as the deputy CLP leader for the party.
Senior leader Mukesh Agnihotri has been retained as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly.
Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi also appointed former Union minister Anand Sharma as the chairman of the Steering Committee for the Himachal Pradesh Congress, with Asha Kumari as its convenor, while former Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was appointed as the chairman of the Campaign Committee.
The party will have four working presidents: Harsh Mahajan, Rajinder Rana, Vinay Kumar and Pawan Kaushal.
The manifesto committee for the Congress will be headed by Dhaniram Shandil with Ashish Butail as vice-chairman.
Kaul Singh Thakur will be chairman of the Coordination Committee, whereas Ram Lal Thakur will head the election management committee.
Taking about whether the poll strategist Prashant Kishor will work for the party in the upcoming Assembly elections, he said, “The Himachal Congress State Unit did not have any conversation or meeting with Prashant Kishor regarding the Himachal assembly elections. The rest of the decisions are to be taken by the national-level leaders.”
Meanwhile, Prashant Kishor has declined to join the Congress party.
Prashant Kishor has held several meetings in the last 15 days with Congress’s top leadership and gave a proposal to revamp the party ahead of the 2024 general election.
Kishor had given a detailed presentation with a road map for the 2024 General elections. (ANI)