An Open Rift In The Hills: Why All Is Not Well In Sukhu's Himachal Government?

Notwithstanding the Congress high command’s full and declared backing for Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the undercurrents within the Himachal Pradesh cabinet suggest that all is far from well. The support from Delhi appears shaped as much by the absence of reliable feedback channels as by political conviction. Visible fissures have now surfaced in the council of ministers, threatening to erode administrative cohesion and, if left unattended, potentially casting a long shadow over governance in the run-up to the 2027 Assembly elections.

Sukhu in denial Mode;

The Chief Minister has responded with studied restraint—some would say denial. His mild reaction to the recent outburst by dissident voices within the cabinet, coupled with a public caution to PWD minister, Vikramaditya Singh to focus on his departmental to improve it  and avoid political commentary, has raised eyebrows about his authority ,as he did not heavily come upon the minister. What has drawn sharper attention is the selective nature of the response. While three loyalists ministers were allowed by CM to publicly contradict Vikramaditya’s remarks regarding certain bureaucrats from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh allegedly working against the state’s interests, there was conspicuous silence when Deputy Chief Minister ,Mukesh Agnihotri sharply criticised sections of the bureaucracy for allegedly maintaining covert links with BJP leaders after official hours under the cover of darkness. He had indirectly hinted at Sukhu’s silent role to undermine and damage his position in the government though CM always denied it.

 A Punjab Parallel Haunting Shimla’s Corridors;
This asymmetry has not gone unnoticed in the corridors of power at the Shimla Secretariat. Questions are now being whispered, if not openly voiced: is Himachal treading a path similar to Punjab’s political turmoil in 2021, where perceived indifference by the party high command aggravated internal discord? Former Punjab Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh had famously blamed Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for giving fillip to factional feud and failure to address on time, a crisis that culminated in his exit and the Congress’s subsequent decline in the state. Today, Punjab Congress struggles without a mass leader of Amarinder’s stature—a cautionary tale that resonates uneasily in Himachal’s political climate.

Guarantees, Governance and Growing Strain;
Priyanka Gandhi had earned significant credit for energising the Congress campaign in Himachal during the 2022 polls, articulating a set of ten guarantees that helped consolidate voter confidence. Yet several of those assurances remain work in progress, while the Sukhu government simultaneously contends with what it describes as persistent vengeance of the Centre. This combination of unfulfilled expectations and external constraints have complicated governance and sharpened internal sensitivities within the ruling party.

High Command Accountability and the Need for Timely Arbitration;
Political observers argue that if the emerging cabinet discord is not addressed with urgency and tact, responsibility will not rest solely with the state leadership. The spotlight will inevitably turn towards Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi for allowing manageable differences to harden into damaging fault lines. The current tensions, they suggest, are still within the realm of political repair—provided timely arbitration, reassurance, and clarity of authority are exercised from the top.

An Organisational Drift vs a Charged Opposition;
Simultaneously, the organisational machinery of the Congress in Himachal shows signs of fatigue. In contrast, the BJP remains organisationally robust, resource-rich, and ideologically energised, with a disciplined cadre base and a repertoire of issues to target the government. As barely less than two years are left for final count down to mark end of the term of Sukhu government, the Opposition is preparing to convert administrative irritants and internal dissent into a broader political narrative.

The Punjab Lesson and the 2027 Stakes;
The lesson from Punjab is not merely historical; it is instructive. Internal dissent, if allowed to fester under the assumption that it will subside on its own, can metastasise into electoral vulnerability. Himachal’s political stability over the next 22 months will depend less on public assertions of unity and more on quiet, decisive political management behind closed doors. Whether the Congress high command recognises the urgency of that task in time may well determine the trajectory of the Sukhu government—and the party’s fortunes in 2027.

The unfolding rift within the Himachal Pradesh cabinet has laid bare a reality that the Sukhu government has tried hard to mask: governance in the hill state is far from smooth, cohesive or politically settled. What began as sharp remarks against sections of the bureaucracy has quickly snowballed into an unmistakable factional divide within the Council of Ministers, reviving an old and unresolved political fault line that predates the present government. At its core, the crisis reflects a deeper struggle between two camps—Virbhadra Singh loyalists and Sukhu supporters—whose rivalry has now entered a dangerous public phase, threatening governance, administrative morale and the Congress party’s prospects ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

Genesis of the Rift: Sukhu vs Virbhadra Era Politics;

The genesis of this divide lies in the years when Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president and the late Virbhadra Singh, a six-time Chief Minister and the party’s tallest mass leader in the state, remained firmly in command of government and organisation. Sukhu’s rise was actively encouraged by the Gandhi family, positioning him as an alternative power centre to Virbhadra Singh. This inevitably bred friction. The feud between the two leaders was never fully resolved during Virbhadra Singh’s lifetime, despite periodic attempts at truce by the high command. It merely went underground, resurfacing at moments of stress. With Virbhadra Singh no longer in the picture, that unresolved rivalry has now morphed into an open confrontation between Sukhu and Pratibha Singh, former state Congress president and Virbhadra Singh’s wife, with their respective loyalists occupying key positions in government and organisation.

The Deputy CM’s Outburst: A Public Warning shot;

The spark that reignited the fire came from an unexpected but telling quarter. Deputy Chief Minister ,Mukesh Agnihotri’s emotional outburst at a Mandi rally in December 2025, in the presence of AICC in-charge Rajani Patil, was a clear signal that all was not well within the cabinet. Agnihotri, widely seen as feeling marginalised and humiliated, publicly accused sections of the bureaucracy of hatching conspiracies against him and warned officers from outside Himachal Pradesh to desist from destabilising elected representatives. He made it clear that these bureaucrats were hobnobbing with BJP hence they must be dealt with iron hand. More significantly, he urged the Chief Minister to take action against such officials. Sukhu’s conspicuous silence at that moment was politically costly. It conveyed either indecision or unwillingness to confront the issue, deepening the sense of alienation among ministers who believe the Chief Minister has lost control over both his cabinet and the bureaucracy.

Vikramaditya Singh Steps In—and Escalates the Crisis;

The issue might still have been contained had it not been taken up forcefully by Vikramaditya Singh, Public Works Minister and son of the late Virbhadra Singh. Vikramaditya’s open support to the Deputy Chief Minister transformed an administrative grievance into a full-blown political confrontation. His remarks against IAS and IPS officers from outside the state, accusing them of defying orders and working against Himachal’s interests, were not merely spontaneous comments. They reflected accumulated frustration within the Virbhadra camp over what they perceive as deliberate side-lining by the Chief Minister and the growing influence of “outsiders” in decision-making.

Symbolism and Hurt: The Ridge Installation Episode;

This resentment has a political backstory. Vikramaditya Singh had earlier resigned from the cabinet over the delay in installing a statue of Virbhadra Singh on the Ridge in Shimla, an issue heavy with symbolism in Himachal politics. His allegation that the delay was intentional gained credibility when the installation finally happened only after intervention by the Congress high command, more than two and a half years into the government’s tenure. That episode reinforced the perception among Virbhadra loyalists that Sukhu is uncomfortable acknowledging the legacy of his predecessor, even at the cost of internal unity.

Outsiders vs Locals: A Sensitive Bureaucratic Fault Line;

Detractors of the Chief Minister argue that the present crisis is also rooted in the accommodation of retired bureaucrats from other states in key advisory and administrative roles. This has reportedly generated resentment among Himachali officers, who see their own career prospects being blocked. Vikramaditya’s attack on “outsiders” tapped into this latent discontent. However, the counterattack from Sukhu loyalists was swift and sharp. Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh and Rajesh Dharmani, technical education minister distanced themselves from Vikramaditya’s remarks, calling them irresponsible and damaging to the government’s image. Both leaders, it is worth recalling, were dissident MLAs during Virbhadra Singh’s regime, and despite their denials, the old animosity with the family appears unresolved.

Governance Suffers: Perception of a Weak Command;

This public sparring between ministers has exposed a serious second-order problem: the impact on governance. Open disagreement within the cabinet reflects a lack of command and coordination at the top. At a time when Himachal Pradesh is facing an acute financial crisis, a sort of administrative paralysis and strained Centre-state relations, the spectacle of ministers contradicting each other in public sends deeply unsettling signals. It undermines the authority of the Chief Minister and emboldens both bureaucratic inertia and political opposition. Governance thrives on clarity and cohesion; what Himachal is witnessing instead is drift and discord.

Road to 2027: Political Costs of Factionalism;

The implications for the 2027 Assembly elections are equally worrying for the Congress. Factionalism has historically been the party’s Achilles’ heel in Himachal Pradesh, often gifting the BJP opportunities to return to power. The current rift risks hardening into two irreconcilable camps within the legislature party itself. If this divide travels from the cabinet to the MLAs, the damage to the government’s image could become irreversible. Organisational unity will suffer, candidate selection will turn contentious, and grassroots workers will be demoralised. The BJP, already on the lookout for political openings after its 2022 defeat, will not hesitate to fish in these troubled waters, projecting the Congress as unstable and incapable of governing.

Bureaucracy in the Crossfire: A Dangerous Precedent;

Perhaps the most dangerous fallout of this confrontation lies in its impact on the bureaucracy. The strong reactions from the Himachal Pradesh IAS Officers’ Association and the IPS Association, both condemning attempts to divide officers on regional lines, underline how close the situation is to spiralling out of control. Bureaucratic morale is a critical component of governance, especially in a disaster-prone and financially stressed state. A demoralised, defensive or polarised bureaucracy will inevitably slow decision-making, weaken implementation and erode public trust. The government’s separate standoff with the State Election Commission over panchayat reorganisations has already strained administrative-political relations. Adding a regional dimension to bureaucratic criticism risks long-term institutional damage.

More Loyal Than King;

 Opinion is sharply divided over the Himachali versus non-Himachali bureaucracy controversy, especially after IAS and IPS associations directly hit against the minister which is being interred as an act of indiscipline. It was not a guarded statement but a challenge to the cabinet minister and CM who was supposed to react but he maintained studied silence. Critics of officers from outside the state have endorsed the minister’s observations, while detractors have dismissed them as partisan and politically motivated. Seasoned observers, however, argue that the bureaucracy itself is deeply fractured along perceived pro-Congress and pro-BJP lines—a divide that becomes more visible with every change of regime. Within this spectrum are officers who are adaptable to shifting political winds, and in some cases accused of inefficiency or corruption, with successive chief ministers tending to choose officials they find administratively and politically convenient, a practice that has often had a direct bearing on governance. There also exists a third category of what are described as the “most pliable and suitable” officers, drawn from both within the state and outside it. Former Chief Secretary, Shrikant Baldi is frequently cited as an example, having enjoyed the confidence of governments across party lines, even though his tenure later became mired in controversy following allegations of favouring friends from outside Himachal by gifting apple boxes during his stint at the helm of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority. Similarly, Prabodh Saxena   , former chief secretary was acceptable to the previous BJP government and became the most favourite of Sukhu  hence got a plum and lucrative post of chairman of Himachal electricity board  after the retirement. Mr Onkar Sharma held key positions during BJP regime and later came close to Sukhu  but lost his case of elevation to the post chief secretary as he took contradictory stand in Vimal Negi suicide case which had annoyed and offended CM.

Education Minister In A New Role

Education Minister Rohit Thakur, long regarded as a sharp critic of the late six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, has surprised many by coming out in support of his cabinet colleague Vikramaditya Singh, son of the former Chief Minister, after the latter accused IAS and IPS officers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar of financial impropriety. Thakur said the Chief Minister should take cognisance of the concerns raised by Vikramaditya, while simultaneously underscoring the significant contribution of the bureaucracy, irrespective of the state to which officers belong. He observed that unfairness and conduct against public interest could be found among officers from Himachal as well as from outside the state, and should be addressed without prejudice. While defending Vikramaditya as an effective and capable leader, Thakur’s intervention came even as Sukhu loyalist and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh publicly castigated the PWD Minister, remarking that administrative efficiency lay in extracting work from officials. Vikramaditya hit back, asserting that he did not subscribe to what he described as Anirudh Singh’s way of dealing with officials of the National Highways Authority of India.
Political observers view Thakur’s stand as the opening of a new chapter, with the potential to soften long-standing political and personal animosities between the Thakur and Virbhadra Singh families and their respective support bases. Some see the possibility of a formidable political alignment emerging in Shimla district, though most concede it is too early to draw firm conclusions. Thakur’s remarks are also being read in some quarters as reflecting a measure of latent resentment against Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, an interpretation both leaders have firmly denied.

Chief Minister Takes Cautious Stand

Chief Minister Sukhu, for his part, sought to play down the controversy, insisting that there was no rift within the government despite the unease generated among ministers and sections of the bureaucracy. He maintained that the administration remained united and fully functional, and said there was no need to accord undue importance to such statements. However, several of his loyalists, including Jagat Singh Negi, Anirudh Singh and Rajesh Dharmani, openly took on Vikramaditya Singh and came out strongly in defence of the officers targeted by the dissident minister. He asked Vikramaditya to tone up his department and also advised other minister to refrain from issuing public statements.

Conclusion: Leadership Test for Sukhu;

In the final analysis, the open rift in the Sukhu cabinet is not an isolated controversy triggered by intemperate remarks. It is the manifestation of a long-simmering power struggle that the Chief Minister has failed to resolve through political accommodation and decisive leadership. If left unaddressed, it threatens to paralyse governance, fracture the Congress organisation and hand the BJP a narrative of chaos and incompetence. Himachal Pradesh has seen enough cycles of instability born out of factional arrogance. Whether the current leadership has the wisdom to arrest this slide will determine not just the fate of the Sukhu government, but the Congress party’s future in the hill state.

Now the Chief Minister is left with only limited and uncomfortable choices. He can either confront the Virbhadra Singh loyalists head-on or risk deepening factional bitterness within the party, or he can pursue a course of reconciliation that restores balance and dignity to all camps within the government. What he cannot afford is drift. Prolonged ambiguity will only harden positions and convert a manageable internal dispute into a structural split. If unresolved, this confrontation could turn into a blessing in disguise for the BJP, which thrives politically on Congress infighting rather than its ideological weaknesses.

The seriousness of the situation warrants the immediate and decisive intervention by the Congress high command. Left to fester, the current imbroglio threatens to corrode governance, weaken organisational discipline and damage the party’s credibility well before the 2027 Assembly elections. Yet this is where the Congress faces its own institutional limitation. The party’s leadership in Delhi carries a dismal track record in crisis management at the state level, having allowed internal feuds to spiral out of control in states such as Punjab and Haryana, ultimately costing the party power and relevance. If the same indecision and delayed arbitration is repeated in Himachal Pradesh, the consequences may be equally irreversible.

In Himachal, the warning signs are already visible. What is at stake is not merely cabinet harmony but the survival of a government caught between unresolved legacies, fragile authority and rising opposition opportunism. Whether the Congress chooses timely course correction or repeats its familiar pattern of neglect will determine whether this crisis is defused—or whether it becomes the trigger for the party’s next political setback in the hill state.

(Writer is a senior political analyst and strategic affairs columnist based in Shimla) 

Published on: Saturday, February 07, 2026, 10:23 AM IST