The internal turmoil in Congress today spilled out in the open as the joint visit of Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh and Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) chief Kaul Singh Thakur for campaigning in Rohru received a cold response from residents.

The crowd even tried to heckle Thakur, when he was campaigning for the byelections, giving a jolt to the party on the very first day of ‘active’ campaigning in Rohru.

As Virbhadra and Thakur, along with party candidate Manjeet Singh and MLAs Mukesh Agnihotri and Ram Lal Thakur, toured various panchayats of Rohru like Bhaloon and Kul and the native village of BJP candidate Khushi Ram Blanatah, people raised slogans of Kaul Singh Vapis Jao (Kaul Singh go back). They also reportedly asked Virbhadra Singh to go back and not campaign in Rohru as the party had denied the Assembly ticket to his wife Pratibha Singh.

At the Sungri resthouse, a party worker charged upon Thakur and hurled allegations of ‘conspiracy against Virbhadra Singh over allotment of ticket’.

As he tried to manhandle the HPCC President, other party workers rushed in and whisked him away.

Virbhadra tried to pacify the workers and said, “Whatever has happened is past. People of Rohru were responsible for shaping my political career and if you let me down by letting the BJP take over this Congress stronghold constituency, this would be a big political blow for me.”

He also spoke about strengthening the party before the next Vidhan Sabha elections.

... contd.