The process to appoint a new Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president has gained momentum, with six senior state leaders summoned to Delhi for crucial consultations with the party’s top leadership on Friday. The meeting, called by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at the request of Rahul Gandhi, is expected to finalize the long-awaited decision that could reshape the state unit ahead of upcoming local elections.
Confirming the development, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu told reporters in Shimla on Thursday,
“The expansion of the party organisation will be completed within five to ten days. A new state party president will be announced within ten days.”
The Himachal Congress has been functioning without an active state unit since November 6, 2024, when the All India Congress Committee (AICC) dissolved all state, district, and block units as part of a wider organisational restructuring. The move left the party machinery paralysed, with local leaders and workers repeatedly voicing frustration over the prolonged delay — particularly with panchayat elections expected soon, depending on post-monsoon road restoration.
Party insiders revealed that the six leaders called to Delhi are Education Minister Rohit Thakur, Deputy Speaker Vinay Kumar, Theog MLA Kuldeep Rathore, Palampur MLA Ashish Butail, Kasauli MLA Vinod Sultanpuri, and Bhoranj MLA Suresh Kumar.
According to sources, the meeting will begin with a joint discussion followed by one-on-one interactions with the high command before the final name is announced. Sukhu, who is expected to play a key advisory role, has reportedly conveyed to party leaders that if the post is given to a Scheduled Caste (SC) leader, that decision should be prioritised. Alternatively, if a cabinet minister is chosen, the chief minister has recommended that the views of the state cabinet be taken into account.
“No name has been proposed from my side,” Sukhu clarified, underscoring that the selection process will be guided entirely by the party high command.
With the Congress leadership reiterating its ‘one man, one post’ policy, the central leadership is also deliberating whether a sitting minister can simultaneously hold the position of PCC chief. To balance regional and caste representation, sources suggest the party may appoint three working presidents alongside the new state chief.
