The angry young man in Himachal keeps Congress guessing

New Delhi: Mountains are notorious for unpredictable weather. A breeze may turn into a gale all of a sudden. In some mountainous states, political winds, too, betray predictions. For the Congress leadership in Delhi, gauging the political weather in Himachal Pradesh has been a headache for a while. Adding to the woes of the grand old party is an angry young man with a liking for rebellion. 

A couple of weeks back, Vikramaditya Singh, a minister in the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, ruffled many feathers in the party with his announcement that eatery owners and street vendors in the state would have to display their names outside their establishments. 

It seems Vikramaditya didn't give much thought to his announcement's eerie parallel to the directive of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath or Rahul Gandhi taking the lead in objecting to the UP government's move. 

Drawing flak, Vikramaditya repeatedly defended himself but toned down eventually after a meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal. 

By then, the party and the Himachal government had clarified that there was no such move. Vikramaditya was left with no option but to endorse the party stand.

This was not the first time that the party leadership faced trouble with 'Raja Sahib' of Bushahr, a royal title he got three years ago after the death of his father and six-time chief minister, Virbhadra Singh.

Earlier, Vikramaditya had put the Congress in a fix by challenging the party's CM-pick Sukhwinder Sukhu. He had also announced his plan to attend the consecration of Ram temple in Ayodhya, much to the chagrin of the high command. Above all, he put the state government's survival in question after Congress nominee Abhishek Manu Singhvi's defeat in the Rajya Sabha elections in February this year.

The intensity of rebellion in the Himachal Congress was such that the high command nominated Sonia Gandhi to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, where the BJP is in power, and not from the party-ruled state.

It remains no secret that Vikramaditya and his mother, Pratibha, the Himachal Congress president and a former MP, are angry with the party's central leadership for "ignoring" Virbhadra's legacy, which they believe catapulted the party back to power in the hill state.

They accused Sukhu of not sanctioning land in Shimla for erecting Virbhadra's statue, and when one was unveiled 100 km away in Sainj, Sukhu did not drive down to attend the ceremony. 

As early as May 2023, Pratibha had said that "some people were trying" to demolish the six-time chief minister’s legacy. Adding insult to injury, Sukhu divested Vikramaditya of sports portfolio, much to his disappointment, though he was given the crucial urban development ministry. 

The mother-son duo's grievance was that the party projected combined leadership during the assembly election but gave them a raw deal while handing Sukhu unprecedented powers to muscle them out. While they felt they were the rightful heirs, the party leadership decided to move away from the 'royalty' to a grassroots worker.

For decades, Virbhadra had been the unquestioned king in the Himachal Congress. Sukhu, who had been the state Congress chief between 2013 and 2019, and other detractors tried all tricks to tame the late 'Raja Sahib' but in vain. 

Virbhadra shepherded Vikramaditya, who had by then completed post-graduation in history from Delhi's St Stephens, into politics in 2013 and anointed him the Himachal Youth Congress chief.

Four years later, the young man, who is interested in mountaineering, cycling, wildlife photography and reading, was elected as an MLA from Shimla Rural. But the Congress had to sit in the Opposition.

The equations started changing after Virbhadra died in 2021.

His wife, Pratibha Singh, became an MP after winning the 2021 Mandi bypoll. Ahead of the assembly elections in the following year, she was appointed as the Himachal Congress president  

The assembly polls of 2022, the first in the absence of Virbhadra, brought Congress back to power and the Virbhadra family staked a claim for the top seat. However, Sukhu was no push-over and a majority of MLAs supported him. 

After the central leadership took a tough stand, Sukhu was sworn in and Vikramaditya reluctantly took up a berth in the cabinet. But all was not well as Sukhu left no opportunity to sideline the 'royal' leader, who started complaining about not being allowed to work independently.

The sulking mother-son bided their time and an opportunity presented itself in the form of the Rajya Sabha election when the Congress top leadership chose Singhvi — an outsider — as its candidate. Twelve MLAs — six from Congress and an equal number of independents, who were harbouring anti-Sukhu feelings and had the blessings of Vikramaditya — voted for the BJP candidate. Having failed to elect a party nominee in the Rajya Sabha poll, the Sukhu government started staring at a bleak future. 

It took days for the Congress to bring Vikramaditya into line and save the government. Some smart moves by Sukhu also aided in saving his CM chair. 

Everything appeared smooth on the surface after that. Then came the Lok Sabha elections. Vikramaditya had an opportunity to prove his prominence but lost to actress Kangana Ranaut in Mandi, a defeat his detractors say will not allow him to flex his political muscles for a while.

Himachal watchers see the statement about the name boards as Vikramaditya's attempt to return to the limelight and to warn the party leadership that he should not be taken lightly.

Having represented Himachal in rifle and trap shooting competitions before entering politics, Vikramaditya seems to be aiming at the bull's eye. It remains unpredictable what will be the next trouble that the angry young man foments for the Congress.