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In a massive jolt to the Congress ahead of Assembly elections later this year in Himachal Pradesh, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma on Sunday said he has resigned as chief of the ‘steering committee’ of the party’s state unit citing continuing “insults”
In a massive jolt to the Congress ahead of Assembly elections later this year in Himachal Pradesh, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, a member of the G23, on Sunday said he has resigned as chief of the ‘steering committee’ of the party’s state unit citing continuing “insults”.
The development comes days after senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, also a member of G23, quit all committees of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a series of tweets, Sharma said, “I have resigned with a heavy heart from the Chairmanship of the Steering Committee of the Congress for the Himachal Elections. Reiterating that I am a lifelong congressman and remain firm on my convictions.”
“Committed to Congress ideology that runs in my blood, let there be no doubts about this! However, given the continuing exclusion and insults, as a self-respecting person, I was left with no choice,” the veteran Congress leader said. Sharma has sent his resignation to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi stating his decision to quit as the chairperson of the Steering Committee.
He was appointed as the chairperson of the Steering Committee of Himachal along with Asha Kumari as convenor on April 26 this year.
According to party sources, even when the State in-charge and central AICC observers visited Shimla on August 7 and 8 and meetings of Core Group, senior leaders and HPCC General House were convened, he (Sharma) as the Chairperson of the Steering Committee was neither informed nor invited. However, Sharma, a former Union minister and Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, has assured Congress President that he will campaign for the Congress candidates.
Sharma first contested in Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls in 1982 and was sent to Rajya Sabha by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984. Since then, he has been a Rajya Sabha MP and also handled several key posts in the party.
The resignation of Sharma, one of the tallest Congress figure in Himachal Pradesh ahead of the crucial Assembly polls, is being seen as a huge setback. It might ruin the grand old party’s chances of dethroning the ruling BJP in the hilly state.
Both Sharma and Azad are prominent members of the G23 group, who wrote to party chief Sonia Gandhi asking for an active president to lead the party. He along with Azad made appearance at the Congress headquarters to address a press conference — after a gap of several months — on third day of questioning of Sonia Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with alleged money laundering case, involving National Herald.
