Almost more than a year after the All India Congress Committee (AICC) disbanded its Himachal Pradesh unit, a reshuffle of the party seems to be on the cards and the state unit is expected to “get a new president soon”.
Last week, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal met six party leaders from Himachal in New Delhi to discuss the name of the new president and formation of an organizational set-up.
According to party sources, the leaders who are likely presidents include AICC spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Rathore, who is currently MLA from Theog and former president of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC). Rohit Thakur, Minister of State for Education, Vinay Kumar, Deputy Speaker, Ashish Butel MLA from Palampur, Vinod Sultanpuri, MLA from Kasauli and Suresh Kumar, MLA from Bhoranje.
“The last meeting on the reconstitution of the state unit was held last week. Six leaders from the state met the central leadership. Let’s wait and see. I hope it (the central leadership) will announce (the president’s name) soon,” Rajni Patil, Congress Rajya Sabha MP in-charge of Himachal Pradesh, told The Hindu.
A party insider said that during the meeting, the leaders were asked to share their experiences and express their vision for the organization to outline a strategy to win power in the assembly elections.
Speculation abounds
On November 11, Himachal Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh, addressing a rally in Theog, said, “Mr Rathore has served you (the people) for a long time in the past and will continue to do so in the future. He has been the president before and I think he will be the next president.” The remark only fueled speculation that Mr. Rathore would become the next president of the HPCC.
Last November, the AICC dissolved the HPCC along with the district and block units. However, the party’s state president Pratibha Singh, wife of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, has been asked to continue in the post. Ms Singh took over the reins of the party in 2022 from Mr Rathore.
Published – 14 Nov 2025 01:16 IST
