Shimla, Aug. 7 -- The state ministers wants an experienced and senior leader to be made president of the party's Himachal Unit, said industry minister Harshwardhan Chauhan on Wednesday. Chauhan, who was part of the panel that went to meet the party high command in Delhi on August 4, said:"The process of selection of the new state president has started. The state ministers were of the opinion that the command of the party should be handed over to an experienced and senior leader from the organisation." Himachal Pradesh Congress committee (HPCC) has been lying defunct since November last year after party's national president Mallikarjun Kharge dissolved it on November 6, 2024, along with district and block units. However, the party high command had retained Pratibha Singh as the president. Her tenure had come to an end in April this year. Party leaders in HP have been pushing the high command to revamp the state unit ahead of elections to panchyati raj institutions in December this year. After the meeting, names of education minister Rohit Thakur, assembly deputy speaker Vinay Kumar, MLAs Ashish Butail, Vinod Sultanpuri and Kuldeep Rathore are being considered for the post. Earlier, the incumbent president Pratibha Singh had expressed her willingness for a second term as state party president. This was after chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had extended support to Pratibha's re-appointment as president of the state unit of the grand old party. With the Congress high command reiterating that "one man, one post", principle to be followed while electing new party president, the state party unit facing factionalism, has not been able to come to a consensus and the party leaders who are ministers are unwilling to give up the berth for post of party president. The process of formation of the state Congress Committee will also start soon, informed Chauhan. "Breaking from tradition, the selection of the state president will be done first, after that the state Congress Committee (PCC) will be reorganised," said Chauhan. Industrial minister added that in the meeting, Rahul Gandhi took the opinion of all the leaders and said that this time the selection of the president will be done on the basis of 'merit' and will be done in a different way from the old formula. Also, with the assembly elections due in 2027, a defunct party unit sends wrong signal, said Chauhan. Sharing the sentiment, education minister, Rohit Thakur, after returning from Delhisaid. "We have urged the high command to appoint a person with stature and senior leader as party president." With regards to the discussions going on about making one of the ministers the state Congress president, Rohitsaid, "All the ministers are satisfied with their present responsibilities . The state Congress president should be someone who is connected to the organisation from the grassroots level. A leader who has worked at every level of the organisation and struggled from bottom to top should be appointed." He added "A proper feedback was taken from each one to evaluate ground situations and challenges. This feedback will be used to strengthen the party and its structure."...