Vikramaditya Singh Warns Certain Officers from Outside Selling Himachal’s interest
Shimla | January 13, 2026
A fresh political storm has erupted in Himachal Pradesh after PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri openly took on a section of officers in the state secretariat, triggering sharp pushback from Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi and exposing deep cracks within the ruling Congress.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, meanwhile, has yet to clear the air thick with political showdown, maintaining a studied silence over the controversy.
Backing Agnihotri’s explosive remarks at the Congress government’s three-year rally in Mandi, Vikramaditya Singh on Monday said there was “substance” in what the Deputy CM had stated.
Agnihotri had accused some officers—allegedly from outside the state—of not working as per the government’s mandate and even “frequenting BJP offices.”
In a fiery warning, he had said such officers would be “set right,” even if it meant acting “in the dark of the night.”
Doubling down, Vikramaditya said certain officers need to “correct their ways” and stop compromising Himachal’s interests and resources.
“They are not rulers. They are public servants and must work within the Constitution,” he said.
Clarifying his stand, the PWD minister stressed he has no personal enmity against any officer from outside the state but asserted that no one has the authority to misuse central funds meant for Himachal.
“They must respect the aspirations of elected representatives and not behave like kings,” he added.
However, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi struck a completely different note, publicly contradicting Vikramaditya. Negi, considered close to Chief Minister Sukhu, said officers from outside the state are “doing good job” and should not be targeted.
“There is nothing wrong in their functioning. It is wrong to single them out,” Negi told reporters in Shimla, making it clear he does not agree with Vikramaditya’s remarks.
The public sparring has once again laid bare factionalism within the Congress, just as the Sukhu government completes three years in office.
The timing is politically sensitive, with the Rajya Sabha election due this summer as incumbent MP Indu Goswami’s term ends.
Political circles are already buzzing with speculation of a possible repeat of last year’s dramatic Rajya Sabha battle, when Congress heavyweight Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost to BJP’s Harsh Mahajan after six MLAs—three from the Congress—crossed over, pushing the Sukhu government to the brink in what was dubbed BJP’s “Operatio Lotus.”
Adding to the suspense, sources say the name of Pratibha Singh, former PCC chief and wife of late CM Virbhadra Singh, is once again doing the rounds for the Rajya Sabha seat—setting the stage for yet another high-stakes power struggle inside the party.
With ministers trading barbs in public, CM Sukhu maintaining silence and camps hardening, the Congress leadership now faces a tough test to prevent another political meltdown—just months before a crucial Rajya Sabha showdown.