Himachal: Who is Vikramaditya Singh, royal turned rebel Congressman?
The son of late veteran Congressman Virbhadra Singh, Vikramaditya is known as 'tikka' or prince in Himachal. He joined politics in 2013 and soon became a two-time MLA from the Shima Rural constituency
Vikramaditya Singh, the Congress MLA from Himachal Pradesh, resigned from his minister’s post moments before the state assembly was to sit for a budget session on February 28, triggering a potential political crisis in the ruling Congress-led government.
The 34-year-old MLA is no ordinary politician as he is the son of the late six-time chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, Virbhadra Singh. Hailing from the royal family of the princely state of Bushahr, Vikramaditya’s mother Pratibha Singh is an MP from Mandi and also the Himachal Congress chief. His sister, Abhilasha Kumari, is a former judge.
His mother Pratibha Singh's faction is known to be at loggerheads with Himachal CM Sukhwinder Sukku's group in the party and this latest development is bound to create a further divide.
Vikramaditya Singh seen here with his father, the late Virbhadra Singh, who dominated Himachal politics for over three decades. Pic: Instagram
What triggered Vikramaditya’s resignation as minister? At a press conference, the young Congress MLA reeled off a number of grievances but said he was “emotionally” hurt with the ruling dispensation for not installing a statue of his father. “Someone who was the CM of the state for 6 times, due to whom this government was formed in the state - they could not find a small space for his statue at Mall Road?" He slammed the government for not showing respect to his late father.
"We are emotional people, we have nothing to do with posts...But this is very unfortunate...I am very hurt, not politically but emotionally...", said Vikramaditya breaking down.
He is also hurt that some ‘quarters’ were trying to "humiliate" him, and he complained that party legislators were “ignored”. There were attempts to “muzzle” their voices, said Vikramadiya, even as he came down heavily on the one-year-old Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government accusing it of “fiscal mismanagement”.
All of which, he indicated had contributed to the defeat of the Congress’s candidate for the sole Rajya Sabha seat in Himachal despite the party enjoying a majority in the state assembly. This has further worsened the situation in the state for the Congress party, who is grappling with the fallout of cross-voting by 6 MLAs, which led to its candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi losing the Rajya Sabha elections.
So, who is Vikramaditya Singh?
He is the son of the late veteran Congressman Virbhadra Singh, who had dominated the politics of Himachal Pradesh for almost five decades. Known as 'tikka' or prince, Vikramaditya, too joined politics after his post-graduation to follow in his father’s footsteps.
Political career
After completing his post-graduation in New Delhi, his political career began when he joined the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee. In 2013, he was elected as HP state youth Congress president, a post he held till 2017.
In 2017, he contested elections for the first time entering the poll fray from the Shimla Rural seat. He won the seat and his father Virbhadra Singh and he made history when they were sworn in as MLAs in the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha. He served in the Public Undertakings and the e-Governance-cum-General Purposes Committees as a member from 2018-2022.
In 2022, he contested again from the same Shimla Rural and won. By this time, his father had passed away in 2021 and he was anointed as the erstwhile king of princely state of Bushahr.
Re-elected to the state legislative assembly in December, 2022, he was inducted into the Council of Ministers as Public Works Minister along with Youth Services and Sports portfolios. He was also made the Urban development minister in the Sukwinder Singh Sukhu ministry..
Royal turns rebel
Earlier, in January 22 itself, Vikramaditya defied the Congress, who had boycotted the Ram Mandir opening ceremony in Ayodha for being a BJP/RSS event, and attended the grand opening. Himachal Pradesh had declared a half-day for all state government workers in honour of the occasion.
In Ayodhya, he was declared the state guest of the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government. Vikramaditya defended his move saying that this is a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to be a part of this historic day. “And as a Hindu having faith in 'Dev Samaj', it is my responsibility to be present on the occasion and witness the 'pran pratishtha' of Lord Ram," he had said before visiting Ayodhya.
Personal life
Born on October 17, 1989, Vikramaditya Singh did his schooling at Shimla's Bishop Cotton School, after which he went to Delhi for his graduation and post-graduation. He did his Bachelor's in History from Hansraj College in 2011, Delhi and Master's from St Stephen’s College, Delhi.
Vikramaditya enjoys sports and is a member of the Himachal Pradesh Rifle Association and the National Rifle Association and has represented the state in Rifle and Trap shooting Competition in National Shooting Championship.
At this stage, while it is not clear what Vikramaditya’s next moves will be, BJP's Harsh Mahajan, who called Vikramaditya “a youth icon” in Himachal, supported the Congress MLA's decision to resign from his post in the Council of Ministers. “I agree with it 100 per cent. He is the son of Virbhadra Singh and is a youth icon in Himachal. The way he narrated in the press conference - how he was humiliated, how his father was humiliated - what options he had? What he did, did on moral grounds and is absolutely correct," Mahajan said.
While Vikramaditya said, “I will continue to move forward, supporting the right things and opposing the wrong ones.” It remains to be seen which he comes to view as the right path.
