Situation ‘not favourable’, H.P. Cong. chief opts out of LS poll

Shimla Congress leader Pratibha Singh withdraws from Lok Sabha election due to unfavorable ground situation and disheartened workers.

In a jolt to the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh, State party chief and Mandi MP Pratibha Singh on Wednesday announced that she has decided not to contest the Lok Sabha election as the ground situation was “not favourable” and workers were disheartened.

“I have withdrawn my name and conveyed to the (party) high command that I will not contest the election and will fully support any candidate which the party central leaders consider suitable,” Ms. Singh, the wife of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and mother of Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, told reporters said.

The shock announcement comes at a time when the Congress government in the State is struggling to keep its house in order after six party rebels, along with three Independents, voted in favour of BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha elections last month.

Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh had also announced his resignation from the Cabinet a day after the Rajya Sabha elections claiming that there have been attempts to humiliate and undermine him, but the central party leadership swung into action and persuaded him to withdraw the resignation.

Announcing her decision not to contest the Lok Sabha elections, Ms.Singh said, “I have toured the state extensively and found that no worker is active and in such a situation, it is difficult to achieve success.... You cannot win polls just by distributing MPLAD funds”.