Summary:
SHIMLA: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday appointed Kuldeep Singh Rathore as the new president of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect.Rathore, who is from Theog in Shimla district , is a senior advocate and a member of the AICC. Rathore is considered to be close to senior Congress leader Anand Sharma Rathore is the fourth leader from Shimla district to become PCC president after Virbhadra Singh, Vidya Stokes and late Gyan Chand Tutu. The 55-year-old, a former PCC spokesperson, replaces Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who headed the party in the state for last six years.Former chief minister Virbhadra Singh had an acrimonious relationship with Sukhu and had long been demanding his replacement. Sources in the Himachal Congress said the Virbhadra-Sukhu rivalry was harming the interests of party and Rathore's appointment was an attempt to strike a balance between the various factions..