Congress stares into another conundrum as Virbhadra Singh and loyalists signal revolt

The already beleaguered Congress has suffered another jolt just ahead of the assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh as 27 of the party’s 36 legislators who are supporting Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh have sought the intervention of Congress president Sonia Gandhi after Virbhadra Singh announced that he will not contest the assembly elections to be held later this year. 

The MLAs asserted that they too will not contest elections if Virbhadra sticks to his word. All this comes in the backdrop of the row between Singh and Congress's state chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

Virbhadra Singh is currently in Delhi in connection with a court case. He has sought a meeting with Sonia Gandhi since he wants to wrest full control of the party activities.  

Singh, who has been the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh for six terms, has written to Sonia Gandhi complaining against Sukhu saying that unless Sukhu is removed from the post of state party chief he will not contest nor participate in the elections. 

He wants senior party leader Asha Kumari to be the state Congress chief. A decision in this regard would be taken once Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is back from his Norway visit as party’s central leadership is said to be divided with one section backing Singh while other is backing Sukhu. 

Elections in Himachal Pradesh will be held later this year.