Another blow to Congress after Azad, Anand Sharma resigned, said – I will just campaign

Congress leader Anand Sharma has resigned as the chairman of the steering committee for the Himachal Assembly elections in a letter to the party's interim president Sonia Gandhi.  However, Sharma has assured that he will participate in the campaign for Congress candidates.  Anand Sharma's resignation has once again exposed the internal discord within the party.  Sharma is a member of the G23 group, another member of which, Ghulam Nabi Azad, had also resigned expressing displeasure from the post of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress Campaign Committee.

In a letter to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, 69, Sharma cited instances where he was not even informed about important election strategy meetings in Himachal Pradesh and said, "My self-respect is non-negotiable."  The former Union minister and former deputy leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha is on a four-day visit to Himachal Pradesh from Tuesday to mobilize his supporters.

What did Anand Sharma say in the letter?

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi had announced eight other committees, including Himachal Pradesh Congress President, CLP leader and campaign committee chairman, on 26 April, which also had a steering committee and Anand Sharma was made its president, Asha Kumari as convener.  was appointed to the post of.  In a letter to the Congress President, he said the multiplicity and overlapping of functions in the committee needed clarity for functional purposes.

Anand Sharma wrote, “I requested the General Secretary Organization and AICC in-charge to clarify the mandate and role of the Steering Committee.”  He said that meetings of Himachal Congress core group and senior leaders on election strategy and preparedness have been held in both Delhi and Shimla, but they were not informed about it.

Big blow for Congress

The separation of Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma from electoral responsibilities is a big setback for the Congress.  Elections are to be held in Himachal Pradesh by the end of this year and elections can be announced in Jammu and Kashmir soon and the voter list is being finalized here.  Both the leaders are prominent members of the G-23 group, which has been vocal on demands for a change in the Congress Working Committee from the post of the party's president.