Sonia Gandhi on April 26 appointed Pratibha Singh as the president of the state unit
The new Congress team in Himachal Pradesh took charge on Thursday, about seven months before the Assembly elections scheduled to be held in December.
Former state chief minister Virbhadra Singh's wife and Mandi MP Pratibha Singh took over as Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president and former state Congress chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu assumed his charge as chairman of the Campaign Committee at the state Congress office in Shimla.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on April 26 appointed Pratibha Singh as the president of the state unit, replacing Kuldeep Rathore who was later appointed as an AICC spokesperson.
Pratibha Singh and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu assumed their new charge in the presence of Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and in-charge of Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla.
Later, a rally was held on this occasion.
Outgoing HP Congress president Rathore, CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri, all Congress MLAs and party office-bearers attended the rally.
The four working presidents -- Harsh Mahajan, Rajinder Rana, Pawan Kajal and Vinay Kumar -- appointed on April 26 in the revamped state unit were also present.
Shukla on the occasion said the entire Congress was present here, which indicated that the party cadres were energised to take on the ruling BJP.
The Congress high command has given the responsibility of returning the party back to power to 'trimurti', which includes Pratibha Singh, Agnihotri and Sukhu, he said.
The Congress is all set to win the coming Assembly elections, Shukla said, adding that it is the party high command which will decide who will be the chief minister.
AICC secretary and co-incharge of Himachal Pradesh Sanjay Dutt, former Punjab minister Gurkirat Singh Kotli and ex-chairman of Jalandhar Improvement Trust Tejinder Pal Singh Bittu were also present during the rally.