New Congress chief in Himachal shouldn't be a rubber stamp: Minister Vikramaditya Singh
'The decision lies with the high command, but in my view, the next party chief must be a tall leader who commands respect and influence on his own. The Congress in Himachal Pradesh needs young blood and a leadership which is not just symbolic. The new party chief shouldn't be remote-controlled,' Vikramaditya said.
The remarks come days after Vikramaditya termed Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri as 'one of the tallest Congress leaders who never lost from his Haroli seat in Una'. Vikramaditya had then reacted to a Facebook post by Agnihotri wherein the Deputy CM had said, 'Times of conspiracies are on while falsehood doesn't hold ground'. According to party insiders, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is pitching for new party chief of his choice.
Interacting with the media persons at his office, Vikramaditya expressed concerns over 'delay' in the reconstitution of disbanded party units. 'Incumbent party chief Pratibha Singh has taken up this issue with the high command several times,' he said.
The son of six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh, Vikramaditya recalled that his mother Pratibha Singh was appointed party president in a challenging political situation in 2021. To a specific query, Vikramaditya said only the party high command can decide if Pratibha Singh would continue as party state chief or a new president will be appointed. The PWD minister further said he would speak to the central leadership for early appointment of the state party chief.
Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge had on November 6, 2024 dissolved the Pradesh Congress Committee in Himachal Pradesh along with the district and block units with immediate effect, but allowed Pratibha Singh to continue as party president till further orders.
A section of Congress leaders is said to be unhappy with the working of the state government — an issue that Pratibha Singh too had flagged earlier asking for a better coordination with party unit and its dispensation. Pratibha Singh had also several times in the past sought posts for hardworking and loyal party workers.
Talking about development issues, Vikramaditya said, 'A comprehensive strategy is being implemented to accelerate projects under the Public Works and Urban Development departments. A recent high-level meeting reviewed the progress of schemes under Phase IV of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). Himachal is leading the country in uploading DPRs and aims to construct 1,500 km of roads, but a delay in the availability of land could reduce the target to 400-500 km'.
He said a performance index is being introduced in the PWD divisions to evaluate work efficiency. 'To ensure accountability, PWD divisions have been classified into red, yellow, green and non-performing zones. Strict action, including blacklisting and chargesheets, will be taken against underperformers,' the PWD minister said.
Vikramaditya also spoke on the trade and tourism boycott of Turkey for their support of Pakistan in the conflict with India. 'I would also speak to Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to ban Turkey-based companies and joint ventures as Turkey had openly supported Pakistan during the recent war between India and Pakistan,' he said.
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