Six rebels of the Himachal Pradesh Congress and three independents on Thursday expressed vindication following the state party president Pratibha Singhs assertion that she would refrain from contesting the Lok Sabha elections due to an unfavorable ground situation for the party.   The six Congress MLAs, who had previously crossed the aisle in the Rajya Sabha elections, found themselves disqualified by the assembly Speaker on February 29 for defying a party whip during crucial assembly proceedings. Their decision to vote in favour of the government during cut motions and budget discussions had stark repercussions.   The Congress partys internal structure resembles a house of cards, primarily due to the autocratic style of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Notably, even senior leaders are avoiding contesting elections, further underscoring the prevailing ground reality, said the six Congress dissidents and three Independent MLAs in a joint statement.   Among the six Congress rebels were Rajinder Rana (Sujanpur), Inder Dutt Lakhanpal (Barsar), Chetanya Sharma (Gagret), Devinder Kumar Bhutto (Kutlehar), Sudhir Sharma (Dharamshala), and Ravi Thakur (Lahaul and Spiti). They, along with Independents Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur), Hoshiyar Singh (Dehra), and KL Thakur (Nalagarh), threw their weight behind BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan during the recent Rajya Sabha polls.   The dissident leaders attributed the current state of disarray within the Congress to the authoritative demeanor of Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, citing instances of favoritism and the marginalization of elected representatives.   Expressing her stance, Pratibha Singh, spouse of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and mother of Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, on Wednesday conveyed her decision to withdraw from electoral contention to the party high command. She vowed to extend wholehearted support to any candidate deemed suitable by central party leaders, citing a disillusionment among party workers and leaders. Pratibha Singh had recommended the name of Kaul Singh Thakur for Mandi parliamentary seat.   Her announcement arrived amid an already tumultuous period for the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, grappling with internal dissension sparked by the rebellion of the aforementioned party rebels and Independents.   Pratibha Singhs critique of Sukhvinder Singh Sukhus leadership style had been conspicuous, emphasizing the need for recognition of hardworking party members. She reiterated previous grievances regarding the neglect of dedicated leaders and MLAs within the organization.   Echoing similar sentiments, former Chief Minister and the Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur pointed out the reluctance of Congress leaders to contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, signifying a broader disillusionment within the party ranks.

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