Virbhadra hits out at Sukhu for 'harming party'

Welcoming the appointment of Kuldip Rathore as the new state Congress President, former HP chief minister and senior party leader Virbhadra Singh Saturday said this step should have been taken much earlier.

Addressing a party rally organised by the Sujanpur MLA Rajinder Rana at Gajoh village here, Singh alleged the former state Congress president Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had harmed the party during his six-year tenure.

The former CM said Sukhu was to be blamed for the party's debacle in the last Vidhan Sabha elections. He said Sukhu had ignored the grassroot workers of the party.

Virbhadra demanded all district Congress committees and block Congress committees be revamped and new persons appointed.

The former chief minister said Sujanpur MLA's son Abhishek Rana should be given a party ticket for the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat to inflict a crushing defeat on current MP Anurag Thakur of the BJP.

He hoped the new party chief would take all members in confidence and give new direction to the party.

At the event, the leader of the party in the Vidhan Sabha Mukesh Agnihotri hit out at chief minister Jai Ram Thakur and local MP Anurag Thakur for "fooling" the people.