After Delhi meet, Himachal Congress president Pratibha Singh says won’t contest election

Tribune News Service

Subhash Rajta

Shimla, March 20

Himachal Congress president Pratibha Singh today said she would not contest the Lok Sabha elections, confirming the murmurs doing the rounds for a while now that she was not interested in contesting the elections this time. A sitting MP from the Mandi parliamentary constituency, which she had won in the 2021 bypoll, she was widely seen as an automatic choice for the Mandi constituency. While her decision not to contest the elections isn’t totally unexpected, the reasons she put forth for deciding against contesting would leave the party jittery. “Our workers are discouraged. Today, I don’t see any workers who will work actively for the party. I have been out in the field and have seen the ground situation. I don’t think we will be able to achieve much success. So, I have decided not to contest the poll,” said Pratibha Singh, a day after the screening committee meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday. She said the workers were “indifferent” as they had not being given position and importance in the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government.

Party workers’ morale down

Our workers are discouraged. I don’t think we will be able to achieve much success. —Pratibha Singh, Himachal Cong chief

Political analysts believe that the other reason for Pratibha Singh to withdraw her name could be the apprehension on her part that she might be asked to step down as the party president in case she chose to contest. And given that winning the contest would be tough, she might have thought of playing it safe.

For the party, though, her decision has queered the pitch. Not only will the party have to look for a suitable candidate from Mandi, it will also have to work hard to shake off the impression that the party workers are discouraged and indifferent ahead of the elections, as claimed by Pratibha Singh.

Having announced her decision not to contest the poll, Pratibha Singh said she would work for the candidates the party fields.

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