Shimla, June 17 -- After months of intense lobbying and factional tug-of-war, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) is reportedly close to announcing Assembly deputy speaker Vinay Kumar as the next Himachal Pradesh Congress president. The move appears aimed at caste-balancing, rewarding loyalty, and bridging the rift within the state unit.
Vinay Kumar, MLA from Shri Renukaji and a Dalit leader, enjoys support from both Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri. Despite his roots in the Virbhadra Singh camp, his moderate image and non-confrontational stance during the 2024 Rajya Sabha election crisis - when he resisted BJP overtures and stood by the Congress - seem to have tipped the scales in his favour.
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