Trouble for Congress mounts in Himachal Pradesh as prominent leaders exit
The Hindu
Last month, two Congress MLAs — Pawan Kajal and Lakhwinder Rana — quit the Congress and joined the BJP
CHANDIGARH
Ahead of the 2022 Himachal Pradesh Assembly election, due later this year, the trouble for the Congress party, which aims to wrest power from the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), seem to be mounting with prominent leaders leaving the party, citing factionalism and disarray over party operations in the State.
In the latest blow to the party’s electoral prospects, Harsh Mahajan, the party’s working president and a veteran leader, on Wednesday left the party to join the BJP, pointing out that the Congress’s State unit was riddled with infighting and groupism, which had left the party without almost any cadre. The youth was demoralised and disillusioned, with no direction at the State, district or constituency levels, he said.
Mr. Mahajan said that after the demise of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who carried the party single-handedly, the party had been reduced to shambles, with neither leadership nor credibility.
“A super jumbo Congress Committee of over 500 office bearers has been appointed — a sure sign of organisational weakness, with over half of the members being non-entities. The party will not be able to form the government, as it is heading toward further disaster... There is no organisational connection between the State and national levels of the party. A cadre-less party based on the whims and fancies of a few self-acclaimed leaders is untenable,” said Mr. Mahajan, a former State Minister.
The Congress has been battling to put its house in order as several senior leaders have quit the party in recent months.
In April, the Congress replaced then State unit president Kuldeep Singh Rathore under whose leadership the party had registered an emphatic win in the Assembly and Lok Sabha byelections in October 2021. A section of the party feels that this tinkering with the established unit, which had delivered victory in key elections was uncalled for, and its adverse consequences are now out in the open, which could cost the party heavily in the impending poll.
Karnataka Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (DSS) has urged the State government to begin the process of filling up 56,432 posts only after rectifying the mistakes in fixing the roster and implementing the internal reservation among Scheduled Castes.
Rebel nominations in Karaikal expose tensions within electoral alliances, risking voter fragmentation ahead of the Puducherry Assembly elections.
CCPA prohibits restaurants and hotels from imposing unfair LPG charges, labeling them as unjustified and against consumer protection guidelines.
Andhra Pradesh receives ₹19.47 crore for 44 handloom clusters, benefiting over 10,000 weavers under the National Handloom Development Programme.
Stay updated with The Hindu’s on-ground Tamil Nadu Assembly election coverage and voter insights across key constituencies.
Mettur dam water level reaches 82.770 feet, with inflow at 361 cusecs and discharge at 801 cusecs.
Udhagamandalam faces challenges in tourism and tea sectors due to poor infrastructure, pollution, and urbanization ahead of summer season.
Social activists and journalists from Shivamogga, who placed the demand for a strict law to stop honour killings, have thanked the State government for tabling the Bill and getting it passed in both Houses of the legislature with the support of all other parties.
Erode (East) voters prioritize pollution control, traffic solutions, and urban infrastructure as key issues ahead of upcoming elections.
T. Jeevan Reddy resigns from Congress after 42 years, criticizing party leadership and the influence of defectors.
Kanniyakumari Collector inspects vulnerable and sensitive polling stations
Westbrook: Opening Doors to your Child’s Best Start
The Mangaluru Chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) organised a special lecture in memory of Rashtrakavi Manjeshwara Govinda Pai on Monday.