Virbhadra, 5 more in Himachal CM race
While former Union minister and PCC chief Virbhadra Singh is an obvious frontrunner, around half a dozen Congress leaders are aspirants for the chief ministership in Himachal Pradesh, which the party wrested from the BJP on Thursday.
Among those actively lobbying are former Leader of the Opposition Vidya Stokes and former PCC chief Kaul Singh, while Union commerce minister Anand Sharma’s name cannot be ruled out, particularly if the high command follows the Uttarakhand example, when the leadership made Lok Sabha MP Vijay Bahuguna CLP leader, despite the strong claim of Harish Rawat. Besides these, the names of G.S. Bali and Anil Sharma (a son of former Union minister Sukh Ram) are also circulating.
After Thursday’s victory Congress sources said “all options are open”, indicating someone not an MLA could also be considered for CM.
The Congress Legislature Party election may be held before December 25, for which the AICC will send observers to Shimla to assess MLAs’ views. But they may just pass a resolution authorising party chief Sonia Gandhi to nominate a CLP leader. “The CLP meet could be held either in New Delhi or Shimla,” sources said.
While Virbhadra Singh’s valiant efforts are believed to be a major factor behind the victory, a section of AICC leaders feel this was not the only reason. “The selection of candidates was equally important, besides Sonia Gandhi’s meetings,” an insider said.
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