Shimla, Oct. 8 -- Lying defunct for nearly 11 months now, the new Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee may be put in place, likely by the end of this month. An indication regarding this was given by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday after his return from Delhi after meeting senior party leaders. Himachal Pradesh Congress committee (HPCC) has been lying defunct since November last year after party's national president Mallikarjun Kharge dissolved the committee on November 6, 2024, along with the district and block units. However, the party high command had retained Pratibha Singh as president of the unit. However, her tenure had come to an end in April this year. Sukhu said, "The preparations for the formation of the state Congress organisation were complete and the process was expected to be finalised by the end of October." Talking of the reason for delay, Sukhu said, "The expansion had been temporarily deferred due to the upcoming unveiling ceremony of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh's statue, scheduled for October 13." "The party will carry out the organisational expansion after the unveiling ceremony," Sukhu said, while adding that senior party leaders are expected to attend the unveiling ceremony. "There is a possibility of Sonia Gandhi attending the event. However, until the official programme is announced, it would not be appropriate to make any confirmation," he clarified. As part of the restructuring of the HPCC series of meetings were held where AICC secretary and co-incharge Vidit Chaudhary and Chetan Chauhan, focused on feedback from senior leaders, legislators, grassroots workers, and affiliated organisations through the year. Even Himachal incharge Rajani Patil held meeting with state leaders. Meetings were also held between state leaders and senior party leaders in Delhi. This has even caused rumbling in Congress party with senior party leader and agriculture minister Chander Kumar Chaudhary questioning the working of the Congress high command, saying, "Congress organisation in the state has become paralysed." Even the incumbent state party president Pratibha Singh on a number of occasions has said that "revival and strengthening" of the state Congress unit as the biggest challenge and "delay harming the party". While pressing for "urgent need" for appointments at the block and district level Singh had said that "as without official responsibilities, even active workers lose morale.". She had also told the high command that the legacy of six time chief minister Virbhadra Singh should not be ignored while finalising the president of unit and a a person "widely accepted" be appointed as president as "mere rubber stamp won't help the party , it might even cause harm."...