'The Raja' Gets a Throne: Finally!

The inclusion of Himachal Pradesh strongman,Virbhadra Singh, in the Union Cabinet has come as a shot in the arm for the poilitically insignificant hill state of Himachal Pradesh. That Singh deserved to be in the Cabinet was beyond doubt, but his inclusion seemed uncertain in the shadow of perceptions about his political leanings within the Congress. In the faction-riven Himachal Congress, Singh was talked about as the one belonging to the 'anti' camp. The relationship co-ordinates, of course, are in context of one's standing with respect to 'Madam'Sonia Gandhi. Virbhadra, however, had always rubbished such talk as 'concoctions of twisted minds'.

Personally, I have had the chance to observe Virbhadra's political journey over the last 15 years from upclose, first as an Executive with the CII and later as a journalist. Singh comes across as an intelligent individual, with a good grasp of the Indian reality. He has a sharp memory and prefers to stay informed about the latest in a variety of fields.

While posted as the CII Shimla Office Head, in-charge of Himachal Pradesh,I found that Singh was open to new ideas, and once convinced of the merits of a case, would go all out to see that the idea turned into a reality. It was during his this term that CII got the one-time go ahead to organize its first Shimla Trade Expo - right on the Ridge! To this day, it remains the most prestigious venue ever for any CII event across the country.

Virbhadra is open and accessible (especially when out of power). I remember the varied discussions, on lazy summer afternoons in the lawns of his Jakhoo house in Shimla, when the Congress party was in opposition in the state the last time. I was working as the State Correspondent for The Financial Express at that time. Despite the designation I was a rookie in terms of experience and Singh was the perfect resource for any thing and everything about Himachal Pradesh. I was amazed by the extent of his knowledge of the micro aspects of almost every part of the state.

The fact that he is the only Congress candidate to win a seat in the 2009 Parliamentary elections, speaks volumes about his mass base in Himachal Pradesh. The state has a history of voting with the ruling party in the Parliamentary elections (with BJP in power in HP, the party was tipped to win all four seats as has been the trend in the past). Of course, Singh has been charged of wrong -doings by the opposition and some of the individuals of his own party, but none of the charges have stuck. Singh has his weaknesses, and has been in the midst of controversy on more than one occassions. People say he is arrogant at times, and relies too much on the advise offered by his loyalists, without looking into the merits of the issue. His supporters, however, say that none of his shortcomings are of the kind that would make people reject him outrightly. This, perhaps, has been one of the major factors behind his dominance of the Himachal Pradesh politics over the past 25 years.Virbhadra is an Old Cottonian (a product of Bishop Cotton School, Shimla) and a History honours graduate from St Stephen's. Prior to his political innings he had worked as the ADC to the President of India.

Credit is due to Sonia Gandhi, who has once again acted in a statesman (or is that stateswoman?) like manner, by including a politician of Singh's vintage in the Cabinet. The lady appears inclined to do the right thing, within the given constraints. As a former journalist, I must confess that I have ingrained a certain degree of cynicism in my approach, especially when it comes to matters involving politicians. I have left the profession behind, but I would be tracking this one, with fingers crossed twice over.

Lets see how it unfolds....