Winning panchayat polls a priority: Himachal Congress chief

SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh Congress president Kaul Singh Thakur, who retained the post for the second time in state Congress chiefs’ reshuffle Tuesday, said his top priorities would be to win the forthcoming panchayat and local elections.

“The party would right now focus on winning panchayat and local bodies elections that are due in January,” Thakur told IANS.

His name was cleared Tuesday by Congress president Sonia Gandhi along with other state party chiefs. Gandhi was authorised by state Congress units to choose their chiefs.

Thakur said during the forthcoming elections, due representation would be given to the youth and the women.

“Of course, the party’s campaign against misdeeds of the ruling (Bharatiya Janata Party) government would continue,” he added.

Thakur, former speaker of the state legislative assembly, was appointed the state Congress president for the first time July 7, 2008. He replaced Viplove Thakur, a Rajya Sabha member who resigned after the party’s defeat in the state assembly polls in December 2007.

According to party sources, Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh, five-time chief minister, was keen that Gangu Ram Musafir, another former speaker, or Chander Kumar, a former member of parliament from Kangra, be made the state party chief.