'Party Workers Should Not Feel Isolated, Himachal CM Sukhvinder Sukhu Should Take Note': Former HPCC Chief Kuldeep Rathore

Close on the heels of Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Singh meeting AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior party leader Kuldeep Singh Rathore on Saturday said the leadership should address the issue of coordination between the party and government in the state. The remarks from the former state Congress chief came in the backdrop of reports claiming that Pratibha Singh had aired her grievances on the issue during the meeting with the Congress chief.

"Thousands of workers struggled and came on roads and I led the agitations against the BJP government and made the victory of Congress party possible in by-elections to Mandi Lok Sabha seat and three assembly constituencies in 2021, but the politically motivated cases against the workers and leaders have not been withdrawn," Kuldeep Singh Rathore, who is an MLA from Theog, told reporters.

Grievances of workers must be resolved

He said that if workers are feeling that they are not being heard, their grievances must be resolved.

"Since I was the president of HPCC for nearly three and half years, the workers are calling me and complaining that cases against them are still pending in the courts and they have to attend the hearings," he said and demanded that all such cases should be withdrawn.

Pratibha Singh was among the frontrunners for CM's post but high command chose Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu

Asked whether the alleged lack of coordination could impact the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Rathore said that the situation is not out of control and senior party leaders "should sit and sort out the issues". After the Congress won the 2022 assembly election, Pratibha Singh was among the frontrunners for the chief minister's post but the high command chose Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu.