HPCC gen secy Vinod Sultanpuri resigns

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 23

The resignation by Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Vinod Sultanpuri from the State Executive today dealt a severe blow to the party, which is struggling to gear up for the two bypolls scheduled for October 21.

Sultanpuri, who had twice contested the Assembly elections in 2012 and 2017 from Kasauli reserved constituency in Solan district, sent his resignation to AICC president Sonia Gandhi.

“The morale of the party cadre is at an all-time low due to the dictatorial attitude of the president Kuldeep Rathore,” he wrote. Sultanpuri is the son of six-time Lok Sabha MP from Shimla Krishan Dutt Sultanpuri.

Incidentally, his resignation has come close on the heels of the remarks by former minister Sudhir Sharma against the Youth Congress president and some party leaders. The timing of Sharma’s remarks and now resignation by Sultanpuri, could be damaging for the Congress which faces an uphill task in the byelections to Dharamsala and Pachaad. He pointed out that despite the party’s worst-ever performance in the parliamentary poll, no lessons had been learnt and the party’s senior leadership was indulging in friendly matches with the ruling party and the government.

“Despite the Congress receiving a drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls four months ago, the party is still in a state of slumber. There are no campaigns against the wrong policies of the BJP government in the state, nor any meetings being held,” he said.

Sultanpuri accused Rathore of pursuing a policy of divide and rule and not taking loyal party leaders into confidence. “The atmosphere in the party is so morose that Cong leaders are indulging in allegation and counter-allegations, leading to a sense of frustration,” he said. The loyal party workers were being ignored and unknown faces were being installed.

4 apply for ticket

• The Congress could repeat its candidates for the bypolls by fielding Sudhir Sharma from Dharamsala and Gangu Ram Musafir from Pachaad
• It has invited applications from the interested candidates for the bypolls by Sept 24
• So far, the party has received one application from Pachaad and three from Dharamsala 
• Pachaad applicants: Gangu Ram Musafir
• Dharamsala: Manoj Kumar, Shubh Karan, Puneet Padha