Shimla, December 23
Chief Minister-designate Virbhadra Singh will take oath on December 25 at the historic Ridge Maidan for a record sixth time.

Virbhadra Singh with Janardhan Dwivedi in Shimla on Sunday. Photo: Amit Kanwar

Virbhadra’s smooth selection following the Congress Legislature Party meeting on Saturday was preceded by quiet parleys involving Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and party general secretary Janardhan Diwedi, the central observers. Sources said behind the usual one-line CLP resolution authorizing Sonia Gandhi to choose its leader lay the enormous clout that Virbhadra wields. That explains why the party top brass lost no time in announcing Virbhadra’s name for the CM’s post. “It is normal in the Congress that after a CLP resolution is passed, aspirants rush to Delhi for lobbying. This, however, results in factionalism,” said a party source.

In this case, what happened was simple: Virbhadra moved the resolution and senior leaders Vidya Stokes and Kaul Singh, a hot contender for the top post, seconded it. A one-on-one later, the central observers apprised Ahmad Patel, political secretary to Sonia Gandhi, of the popular mood. The message from Delhi was loud and clear: It was to be Virbhadra.

The promptness with which the Congress’s top leadership has acted makes it clear that no one wants a replay of Uttarakhand, where senior leader Harish Rawat was overlooked in favour of Vijay Bahuguna, the Chief Minister.

One of the vocal leaders of the anti-Virbhadra Singh camp said once the party authorised Sonia, the matter was over — the numbers did not matter.

Virbhadra’s detractors are, however, confident they would get their share in the ministry making, and that the party’s central leadership would be actively involved in it.

Virbhadra Singh has left for Delhi. Besides meeting Sonia Gandhi, he would resign from his Lok Sabha seat from Mandi.