After winning the Mandi lok Sabha seat by a thumping majority, Pratibha Singh, wife of Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, is gradually emerging as a power centre in State politics by raising issues of the State Government with Union Ministers in New Delhi. She is leaving no stone unturned to have an impact and emerge as a politician who will take care of the interests of the State based in the national Capital.
It was due to the efforts of Pratibha Singh that Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde gave his final nod to send an inter-ministerial team to assess the loss of rain ravaged Kinnaur district, the first step for release of aid for cash strapped State.
After winning the by-election, she has called almost every important person in Delhi. This includes
Congress president Sonia Gandhi and over a dozen of Union Ministers.
She took up an the idea of diverting the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route through Himachal with Union Foreign Minister Salman Khursid and suggested that if the yatra route is diverted it will not only be safe but would also provide much better amenities to pilgrims.
The historic pilgrimage yatra route, if rooted through Himachal Pradesh would not only boost the prospect of tourism of State but would also bring in additional revenue sources in cash crunch State.
Pratibha Singh had met Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma who also hails from the State and sought extension of industrial package a long pending demand which Opposition BJP as well as Congress party had promised in their poll manifestoes.
In her meeting with Union Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, Singh also took up the issue of strengthening of rail network and declaring Bilaspur-Bhanupalli-Manali-leh rail link as rail line of national importance for complete funding by the Central Government.
Pratibha Singh on Saturday met Union Minister for Water Resource Harish Rawat to release one time grant of Rs62.42 crore to the Himachal Pradesh Government towards payment due from Punjab Government for Shah Nehar major irrigation project. On Monday, the newly elected MP met MM Pallam Raju, Union HRD Minister.
Though Singh is yet to take oath as MP, her meetings with the Union ministers listing the demands of the State is likely to catapult her as an important power centre in State politics.
Her seriousness in the business, has drawn worry line for the BJP, which is grappling to find a suitable candidate against Pratibha Singh for the 2014-lok Sabha election and among the Congress ranks who were looking for taking the top seat after Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s political retirement, as gradually she is emerging as alternate power centre in the State politics.