INDIA VOTES 2024: Reluctant Pratibha Singh still best bet for Congress from Mandi seat

Tribune News Service

Pratibha Chauhan

Shimla, March 20

The reluctance of state Congress president Pratibha Singh to fight the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections from Mandi does not augur well for the party. She had sprung a surprise by winning the Mandi Lok Sabha byelection in 2021 in challenging times,

Pratibha had won the Mandi parliamentary seat in 2004 and later in 2013 and 2021 in byelections. She had managed to wrest the seat from the BJP while the Congress was in power, both at the Centre and in Himachal. Also, her husband and six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had won the Lok Sabha poll from Mandi in 1971, 1980 and 2009.

Kaul Thakur too refused to contest

• What is even more interesting is that even Kaul Singh Thakur, a former state Congress president and minister, has declined to contest the Lok Sabha elections this time
• This has left the Congress with little choice as senior leaders are averse to contesting the Lok Sabha poll
• The demoralised cadres and the failure of the government to give representation to Mandi, too, has not gone down well with people
• The reluctance of the senior leaders to contest the poll has embarrassed the party. As the Congress had won only one of the 10 seats (Dharampur) in Mandi district in the 2022 Assembly elections, it was tough for it to put up a formidable fight

What is even more interesting is that even Kaul Singh Thakur, a former state Congress president and minister, has declined to contest the Lok Sabha elections this time. This has left the Congress with little choice as senior leaders are averse to contesting the Lok Sabha poll. The demoralised cadres and failure of the government to give representation to Mandi, too, has not gone down well with people.

The reluctance of the senior party leaders to contest the elections has embarrassed the party. The fact that the Congress managed to win only one seat of the 10 Assembly segments (Dharampur) in Mandi district in the 2022 Assembly elections, makes it even tougher for the Congress to put up a formidable fight.

“In fact Pratibha and her son Vikramaditya Singh, who is the PWD Minister, are undoubtedly the strongest candidates we have. Considering the fluid political situation, we cannot afford to face another byelection by fielding Vikramaditya,” admits a senior Congress leader.

Moreover, Virbhadra’s family has a good hold in the Assembly segments of Rampur (Shimla), Bharmour (Chamba), Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti, which form part of the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, hence Pratibha is the best bet for the Congress. Pratibha had managed to win the 2021 byelection held following the demise of BJP MP Ram Swaroop, primarily due to the support of voters in these segments and also Kullu district.

Her victory was a major upset for the BJP as Mandi is the home district of former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.

Comprises 17 Assembly segments

Rampur (Shimla), Lahaul Spiti, Kinnaur, Bharmour (Chamba), Sundernagar, Balh, Mandi, Drang, Jogindernagar, Nachan, Sarkaghat, Seraj, Karsog (Mandi), Kullu, Banjar, Anni, Manali (Kullu)

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