Will quit politics if pushed aside by party: Virbhadra

Ex-CM is sulking over what he considers efforts by party rivals to sideline him ahead of Assembly polls.

Former chief minister and Congress veteran Virbhadra Singh,sulking over what he considers efforts by party rivals to sideline him in the run-up to the Assembly elections,said on Wednesday he would quit politics rather than campaign in conditions suicidal for the party.

I will take retirement from politics and sit at home rather than lead the campaign under circumstances completely suicidal for the Congress, Singh said.

Though he did not spell out his exact plans for the polls,the former Union minister ruled out any immediate plans to quit the Congress or form his own political outfit ahead of the elections. He reaffirmed his faith in Congress president Sonia Gandhi,and hoped that she would act to avoid any crisis in the state.

After a day-long meeting with loyalist MLAs,former ministers and party supporters held to chalk out his strategy,Singh appeared quite defiant as he put the party at notice either to concede his major demands about a larger share of tickets to his supporters or face defeat at the hands of the BJP.

He also asked the party high command to make urgent corrections in the existing PCCs structure,beside those of the district and block Congress committees as these bodies will be playing a crucial role in the allotments of tickets.