Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], November 7 (ANI): The process to appoint a new Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president has gathered pace, with six key contenders heading to Delhi to meet the party high command on Friday.

On Thursday, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu confirmed that the new state Congress chief will be announced within the next ten days.

'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,' Sukhu told reporters in Shimla.

The HPCC has remained largely defunct since November 6, 2024, when Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge dissolved the state, district, and block units as part of an organisational overhaul. While Pratibha Singh was retained as state president, her tenure formally ended in April this year, leaving the state unit in limbo for months.

According to party sources, the six leaders called to Delhi include 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. The meeting, convened by Kharge at the behest of Rahul Gandhi, will begin with a joint interaction followed by one-on-one discussions before the final decision is made.

Chief Minister Sukhu is learnt to have conveyed to the party leadership that if a Scheduled Caste (SC) leader is to be considered for the post, their selection should be prioritised. Alternatively, if a cabinet minister is chosen, the views of the state cabinet should be taken into account.

'No name has been proposed from my side,' Sukhu clarified when asked about his preferences.

Even as the Congress reiterates its 'one man, one post' policy, the leadership faces a key decision--whether a sitting minister can also hold the position of PCC chief. The party is also reportedly considering appointing three working presidents alongside the new chief to ensure regional and caste balance within the organisation.

The delay in reconstituting the state unit has led to growing discontent within party ranks. Over the past several months, AICC secretaries Vidit Chaudhary and Chetan Chauhan, along with state in-charge Rajani Patil, have held multiple rounds of consultations with state leaders, legislators, and grassroots workers. However, the inability to reach a consensus on a single candidate has prolonged the process.

The stalemate has also drawn criticism from within. Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar Chaudhary (80) recently voiced frustration over the delay, saying, 'The Congress organisation in the state has become paralysed.'

Incumbent president Pratibha Singh has likewise warned that the prolonged inaction was 'harming the party,' calling the 'revival and strengthening' of the Congress in Himachal its biggest challenge. She urged the high command to ensure that the legacy of six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh is respected in the selection process and that the new president be a leader 'widely accepted across factions.'

The reorganisation of the Congress in Himachal comes ahead of the Panchayat elections, followed by the 2027 Assembly polls, with many within the party viewing the upcoming appointment as a critical step toward rejuvenating its state unit. (ANI)