Amid growing clamour for resignation of Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh from the Opposition, who is embroiled in the bribe gate controversy, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has been summoned by party high command to gauge the possible political ramification of the controversy.
Sukhu will meet AICC general secretary and State in-charge Ambika Soni and other Central leaders and the party leadership will try to gauge the possible political fallout after the corruption charges and alleged quid-pro-quo to a power company by Chief Minister in which revelations are being made everyday.
When contacted, Sukhu refused to comment on anything and only said that the Congress high command had sought a report of party on the issue and he will be visiting Delhi and meet the leaders for the purpose. However, the party is likely to take any call on the Chief Minister only after the return of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi from abroad on January 8.
Virbhadra Singh is also likely to fly on Tuesday to Delhi to meet central leadership and would also clarify on the fresh corruption charges.
Singh will be participating in a meeting of committee to be headed by another AICC general secretary and Uttar Pradesh in-charge Madhusudan Mistry.
Sources in the Congress say that with new revelations being made every single day the issue is becoming an embarrassment for the party.
Even though the party has backed Singh as of now, the recent revelation that Income Tax authorities have stumbled upon documents which suggest that apples from the orchard of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh were transported on oil tankers and scooters and on fictious registration numbers which were never allotted has been quite damaging.
Former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has alleged that Virbhadra Singh had misled the central leadership of Congress by distorting facts. Meanwhile, detractors of Virbhadra Singh have also become active and been meeting several leaders in Delhi.
State health minister Kaul Singh Thakur who has been said to be one ofthe detractor of Chief Minister, recently met AICC president Sonia Gandhi and union commerce minister Anand Sharma giving rise to speculations.