Tribune News Service
Mandi, July 27
Congress leaders were huddled together here today to chalk out a strategy for the byelection to the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency.
According to sources, discussions were held on the names of the prospective candidates. Congress committee members Mukesh Agnihotri, Asha Kumari and office-bearers took feedback to be conveyed to the party high command in New Delhi to decide the candidate for the byelection.
The Congress is a divided house was evident during the meeting. Virbhadra Singh’s loyalists are in favour of giving the party ticket to Pratibha Singh, wife of former six-time Chief Minister. She had been MP from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat earlier.
However, a section of party workers wants the ticket to be given to senior Congress leader Kaul Singh Thakur or any other leader hailing from the Mandi parliamentary constituency.
Factionalism in the party came to the fore as Kaul Singh Thakur and former Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu skipped the meet. Even Sukhu’s loyalists stayed away from the meeting.
However, Leader of the Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri denied there is factionalism in the party.
Besides Agnihotri, former ministers Asha Kumari and Rangila Ram Rao, former Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sohan Lal Thakur, Kullu MLA Sunder Singh Thakur, district Congress Committee president Prakash Chaudhari, former MLAs and officer-bearers from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat attended the meeting.
Courtesy: Tribune News Service