The Himachal Congress began its two-day organisational meeting amid the controversy triggered by Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi’s public outburst against Nigam Bhandari, the newly appointed president of the District Congress Committee (DCC), Kinnaur. Deeply upset over the appointment, Negi has repeatedly questioned the appointment. Negi didn’t attend the General House meeting of the party today where the majority of ministers, senior leaders, district presidents and block presidents were present.
The party leadership tried to play down the issue by terming it a “misunderstanding” and “difference of opinion”. Rajni Patil, the AICC in-charge for Himachal who was the chief guest at the General House, said that she would speak to Negi if he came for the meeting. “There’s some misunderstanding. I will sit with both of them and try to clear the misunderstanding,” she said.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that it was merely a difference of opinion, not a disagreement, between the two. “Negi is our respected minister and he has merely expressed his opinion. Nigam is general secretary of the Indian Youth Congress. It’s just a difference of opinion. We will talk to them and sort out the matter,” said Sukhu.
While Negi skipped the General House meeting, Bhandari was present. Responding to the no-holds-barred attack by Negi, Bhandari said he had great respect for Negi and would seek his guidance in carrying out his responsibilities as the district president. “I have been associated with the Congress for a long time. Even my father had been associated with the party as gram panchayat pradhan,” said Bhandari, responding to Negi’s charges that he was part of the BJP’s B-team and a parachute candidate.
During the course of the two-day meeting, the leadership will focus on strengthening the organisation, improving coordination among its frontal organisations and formulating a strategy to tackle upcoming political challenges. “We will discuss and deliberate on our preparations and strategy for the 2027 elections and the strengthening and expansion of the party,” said state Congress president Vinay Kumar.
In the General House meeting today, Patil urged the party workers to take the government’s achievements to the people and emphasised that organisational meetings should be held regularly to strengthen the party at every level. Sukhu appealed to the party workers to strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level.
He said he would participate in all Block Congress Committee meetings over the next six months. He further said that preparations were underway to organise rallies of senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi across the state over the next three months. “The government has fulfilled every guarantee made to the people and will form the government again after the 2027 Assembly elections,” Sukhu said.
