New Delhi, April 26: Ahead of the upcoming polls in Himachal Pradesh scheduled later this year, Congress on Tuesday appointed former chief minister Virbhadra Singh’s widow Pratibha Virbhadra Singh as the president of its state unit. Mukesh Agnihotri has been appointed the leader of Congress legislative Party, while Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has been made the chairman of the campaign committee of the party. Virbhadra Singh, who was the longest serving Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, held the office from 1983 to 1990, from 1993 to 1998, from 2003 to 2007 and finally from 2012 to 2017, passed away in December 2017. The decision comes following talks of infighting in the party in Himachal Pradesh, where several leaders had come up as contenders for the state party chief’s post. Former PCC chiefs Kaul Singh Thakur, Sukhu, Agnihotri, who is the Leader of Opposition, the current PCC chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore, senior leader Asha Kumari were among those who were contenders for the post. At present, the BJP has 43 MLAs and Congress has 22 MLAs in the 68 member Himachal Pradesh assembly. In November last year, Congress had won the Mandi Lok Sabha seats, and Fatehpur, Jubbal-Kotkhai and Arki Assembly constituencies. The state is likely to go to polls in November this year. (UNI)
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