AICC names Vinay Kumar as HPCC President, ending year-long leadership vacuum
Shimla, Nov 22,
All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Saturday appointed Vinay Kumar as the new President of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), ending nearly a year-long search for the party’s state chief.
The appointment, announced through an official communiqué issued by AICC General Secretary K. C. Venugopal, takes immediate effect.
Vinay Kumar, a three-time MLA from Shri Renukaji, replaces . Pratibha Singh, who held the post for more than three years. The AICC statement also acknowledged and appreciated her contributions during her tenure.
This development comes only hours after Kumar resigned as Deputy Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha.
His resignation, submitted around 2000 hrs on Saturday and formally accepted by the Assembly Secretariat, had already signalled that the party high command was ready to finalise his elevation.
According to party sources, the AICC conducted multiple rounds of consultations in recent weeks to bring stability to the state unit, which has been facing internal turbulence.
The HPCC was dissolved earlier this year after the major political upheaval triggered by six Congress MLAs cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha election. The episode led to a collapse of organisational cohesion and forced the central leadership to initiate a restructuring process.
Since then, the hunt for a new HPCC chief had been underway, with central leaders seeking a consensus figure capable of restoring unity and discipline.
Kumar’s name ultimately secured broad backing, with both Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri reportedly concurring with the choice.
With his appointment now official, Kumar’s primary mandate would be to rebuild the party’s organisational framework, restore stability, and prepare the state unit for upcoming political and electoral challenges.
The AICC is expected to initiate further restructuring in the coming days under his leadership.
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The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.
