Mandi: Himachal Pradesh Congress in-charge Rajni Patil has made it clear that leaders who have lost two or three consecutive elections will not be considered for party tickets, signalling a tough approach towards candidate selection ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Addressing a meeting of the District Congress Committee at Gandhi Bhawan in Mandi on Friday, Patil said neither Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu nor the state Congress president had the authority to announce ticket allocations. The final decision, she asserted, would rest with the party high command.
Patil said the party would undertake tours of different constituencies and consult the public before deciding on candidates. She emphasised that ticket distribution would be based on the high command’s assessment rather than individual leaders’ preferences.
Referring to reports of the Chief Minister expressing support for a particular leader, Patil said Sukhu might have spoken about granting a ticket to someone out of personal affection, but the final decision would be taken by the high command.
Her remarks drew attention because several senior Congress leaders who have suffered consecutive electoral defeats were present on the stage behind her. They included Thakur Kaul Singh, Rangila Ram Rao, Sohan Lal and Prakash Chaudhary. Patil’s categorical statement appeared to put the political future of such leaders under scrutiny as the party begins preparations for the next Assembly elections.
The statement also underlined the Congress leadership’s emphasis on assessing candidates’ electoral prospects before finalising nominations. However, the final candidate-selection criteria and any formal decision on individual leaders will depend on the party high command.
Meanwhile, the Himachal Pradesh Congress has started preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections, with a focus on strengthening its organisational network at the booth level and retaining power in the state.
Addressing a district-level Congress meeting at the party office in Bilaspur, Patil called on party workers to strengthen the organisation from the grassroots and work towards forming the Congress government again.
Patil received a warm welcome from party workers upon her arrival in Bilaspur. During the meeting, she also highlighted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s efforts to raise issues concerning ordinary people, claiming that he was receiving widespread public support.
The party’s emphasis on booth-level mobilisation and a more stringent approach to candidate selection comes as it looks to consolidate its organisational position ahead of the 2027 polls.
