‘Exclusion and insults’: Anand Sharma’s explosive comments on quitting top Congress post ahead of HP elections

The Congress party suffered a second massive setback this month after veteran Himachal Pradesh leader Anand Sharma resigned as the steering committee chairman for the upcoming Assembly Polls in the state. 

It was reported that Sharma had told party president Sonia Gandhi in his resignation letter that "self-respect is non-negotiable". 

Hours after the news, Sharma took to Twitter to comment on his resignation, saying that he is a “lifelong Congressman”, but adding that he was left with no choice as a “self-respecting person” given the “continuing exclusion and insults.”

“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,” Sharma wrote in his tweets.

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. 2/2

— Anand Sharma (@AnandSharmaINC) August 21, 2022

Like Ghulam Nabi Azam, Sharma is also a prominent face in the G-23 group which demanded sweeping reforms in the Congress. 

Back on April 26, Congress President had appointed HP state Congress chief, CLP leader and Chairman of Campaign Committee. It had announced eight other committees, including a Steering committee which had Anand Sharma as Chairman and Asha Kumari as the convenor.

"The multiplicity of committees and overlapping of functions required clarity for functional purposes. I had requested GS (general secretary) organisation and AICC In-charge to clarify the mandate of the steering committee to delineate the mandate and role of the steering committee,” a brief note shared by sources close to Sharma’s office was quoted by IANS.

A number of core group meetings on Election Strategy and Preparations were held where Sharma, the Chairman of the Steering Committee, was allegedly not invited. 

Despite his resignation, Sharma has assured Congress that he would campaign for the party’s candidates in the upcoming polls.

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