The political battle over the legacy of six-time Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has intensified ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with his wife and former MP Pratibha Singh approaching the Election Commission of India to block the proposed registration of political outfits using his name.
In her October 7 letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, Pratibha Singh objected to reports about proposed parties such as “Rashtrawadi Virbhadra Congress” and “Veer Congress”
Bains has been vocal against the leadership of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and has raised several demands concerning the functioning of the state Congress government. Against this backdrop, Pratibha Singh’s intervention assumes added political significance. she has strongly objected to the use of her late husband’s name and goodwill without the family’s consent While she has made it clear that she does not oppose anyone’s right to form a political party. The proposed party could potentially seek to draw support by invoking the former Chief Minister’s name, policies and political legacy, while Pratibha Singh is now seeking to prevent precisely such use without the family’s approval. The development also brings the spotlight back on the fault lines within the Himachal Congress, particularly amid differences between sections of the party and the present state leadership.
The development comes amid efforts by senior Mandi-based Congress leader Yudhvir Singh Bains to float a new political platform under the Virbhadra name and contest the 2027 Assembly elections.
In her October 7 letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, Pratibha Singh objected to reports about proposed parties such as “Rashtrawadi Virbhadra Congress” and “Veer Congress”. She also opposed the use of names such as “Raja”, “Bushahr” and “Raja Bushahr”, saying these are closely associated with Virbhadra Singh and his legacy.
