Shimla, Oct. 26 -- The Congress in Himachal Pradesh is witnessing fresh unease after AICC in-charge Rajni Patil indicated that leaders who have lost two consecutive elections could be denied tickets for the 2027 Assembly polls.
The proposed criterion has raised concerns among senior leaders, including former ministers Kaul Singh Thakur, Ram Lal Thakur, Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Prakash Chaudhary, Rangila Ram Rao and Sohan Lal. Several are considered loyalists of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh.
It remains unclear whether the proposal has the approval of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi or represents a possible selection criterion. Its implementation could trigger resistance among established leaders and their supporters.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is expected to have a significant say in ticket distribution as he leads the ruling party into the elections. In 2022, Sukhu emerged as chief minister over contenders Pratibha Singh and Mukesh Agnihotri, now deputy chief minister.
The Congress won 40 of the Assembly's 68 seats in 2022.
Meanwhile, the BJP has begun mobilisation across the state, with leaders Jairam Thakur, Anurag Singh Thakur and JP Nadda highlighting the government's alleged failures.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.