(MENAFN- IANS) Shimla, Oct 13 (IANS) Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday unveiled the statue of party stalwart Virbhadra Singh, who was at the helm of the state for a record six times.

The statue is set at the Daulat Singh Park on the historic Ridge, and is situated near the statue of Dr Y.S. Parmar, the first chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, as well as other notable figures like Mahatma Gandhi and former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Congress Members of Parliament Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Deepender Hooda and Rajeev Shukla, AICC in-charge of party affairs in the state, Rajni Patil, besides Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu, along with state Cabinet colleagues, were present at the ceremony.

The statue's unveiling was initially planned on Virbhadra Singh's birth anniversary on June 23, but was postponed due to the pre-occupation of the party's leadership. The invitation for the ceremony was extended by Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, son of the late leader and the Chairman of the Raja Virbhadra Singh Foundation.

The ceremony was attended by thousands of Virbhadra Singh supporters, elected and former MLAs, former ministers and politicians from neighbouring states too.

The supporters danced to the tune of Himachali folk songs and music and raised slogans to celebrate the occasion.

Congress veteran Virbhadra Singh, who remained at the helm of the state for a record six times, had devoted over 50 years to the common people despite being born in royalty. The veteran leader passed away early in July 8, 2021, at the age of 87, leaving behind a rich political legacy.

Being a charismatic leader, he was known for having no qualms about folding his hands and bowing before the commoners to seek votes for the party -- be it in the Assembly polls, parliamentary elections or even for the civic body polls.

A nine-time legislator and five-time MP, Virbhadra Singh, who had first entered the Lok Sabha in 1962, was often quoted as saying:“I am a grassroots worker. I have risen from the ground, and my roots are still firmly stuck here (in Himachal Pradesh).”

Known for his benevolence, wit and charm, Virbhadra Singh, known for picking errors in bureaucratic notes and redrafting them on his personal typewriter, was believed to be among the tallest leaders in the state, who successfully fought and led numerous political battles single-handedly, even when he turned octogenarian.

His former Cabinet colleagues admit that Virbhadra Singh, popularly known as 'Raja Saab' as he was born heir to the erstwhile princely state of Bushahr, pursued politics on his own terms, rather than banking on his proximity to the party high command.

Singh had the experience of working with four Congress Prime Ministers -- Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh.

Virbhadra Singh, who was the Chief Minister for over 21 years, believed,“Bureaucracy is like a horse. If the rider is good, it performs as per his directions. If the rider is inexperienced, the horse will get out of control and master the rider.”

His rivals had accused him of hogging all the space for the Congress leadership in the state and not allowing others to grow to their potential.

Countering such criticism, he had often asked:“Where were they when I was away from state politics for over three years?”

Virbhadra Singh had resigned as the Union minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in June 2012 after a Shimla court order in a 23-year-old corruption case.

Less than 24 hours before his swearing in as the Chief Minister for a record sixth time on December 25, 2012, Virbhadra Singh got a major reprieve as the Shimla court acquitted him and his wife, Pratibha Singh, a two-time MP from Mandi, in the corruption case.

As the chief ministerial candidate in the 2017 Assembly elections, Virbhadra Singh had donned his battle gear after thwarting his foes within the party and campaigned aggressively almost single-handedly.

He was in the fray from Arki in Solan district, known as the BJP's pocket borough, which he chose himself.

He won the seat and entered the state Assembly for a ninth time.

In 2017, his son Vikramaditya Singh too marked his maiden victory in the Assembly polls from Shimla (Rural), a seat earlier represented by his father. He retained his seat in the December 2022 polls.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at ...)

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