The Chakrata MlA and former Cabinet Minister Pritam Singh has been appointed the president of Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee.
He has replaced Kishore Upadhyay who had been facing flak from segments of the party cadre for the poor performance of the Congress party in the Vidhan Sabha elections.
The outgoing president of PCC Kishore Upadhyay congratulated senior party leader Pritam Singh on being appointed the president of the PCC. Conveying his good wishes to Singh on the occasion, Upadhyay also expressed hope that the party organisation will gain strength under the leadership of the newly appointed PCC president. Upadhyay also thanked the Congress national president Sonia Gandhi and national vice president Rahul Gandhi for having made him the PCC chief in the past. He also thanked all the office bearers and workers of the party for having cooperated with him towards making the party organisation strong in the state. The workers at the party office were also thanked for their cooperation. All possible support will be provided to the newly appointed PCC chief Pritam Singh for making the party organisation strong, added Upadhyay. Meanwhile, party leaders and workers burst fire crackers and raised slogans hailing the newly appointed PCC chief at the Congress Bhawan after news of his appointment became public on Thursday.
Observers point out that Upadhyay was expected to be replaced by the party’s central leadership following the poor performance of the Congress party in the assembly elections. Singh has been appointed to the post of PCC president at a time when the party is in minority in the state assembly and also facing organisational challenges. According to information provided by the party, the Chakrata MlA has represented this constituency four times in the past. He was first elected Chakrata MlA in 1993 during the time of undivided Uttar Pradesh. Subsequently he was also elected MlA from Chakrata in the assembly elections of 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017. The son of regional political leader late Gulab Singh, Pritam Singh has been involved in politics since his youth also having held the position of the National Students Union of India organisation secretary of the Garhwal region from 1976 to 1980. During the tenure of the previous Congress-led state government Singh held the portfolios of home, food and civil supplies and other departments as a cabinet minister.