Not in race for HPCC prez’s post: Rathore

Kuldeep Singh Rathore, All Indian Congress Committee spokesperson, today put speculation to rest and said that he was not in the race for the state party president’s post.

“Party men often ask me whether I am in the race for the HPCC president. I say that I have no intention of becoming the state party president. I am happy with the current responsibility entrusted by the high command,” he said while addressing mediapersons here.

Rathore, a former Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president, has been appointed the in-charge of Surendra Nagar in Gujarat, which has five Assembly constituencies.

Rathore, who returned from Gujarat on Friday, said that as the HPCC president earlier, he had played a major role in bringing the Congress back to power in the state.

Asked about the government’s decision to shift the head office of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) from Shimla to Dharamsala, he said the corporation employees from all districts had met him and expressed their concern on the issue.

He also said the HPTDC head office had been located in Shimla since its inception in 1972 and employees were of the opinion that it should not be shifted to Dharamsala.

HPTDC Chairman RS Bali had on Wednesday announced that the Board had decided to shift the corporation’s head office to Dharamsala.

Rathore, who is also the sitting MLA from Theog constituency in Shimla district, suggested that instead of shifting the head office, a regional office could be opened in Dharamsala.

He added that he will take up the matter with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and R S Bali.

Himachal Tribune