Anand Sharma resigns from chairmanship of Himachal Congress steering committee

NEW DELHI,AUG 21: After veteran party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad turned down the role of Jammu and Kashmir Congress Campaign Committee Chairman, senior leader and member of G23 ginger group Anand Sharma Sunday resigned as Chairman of the Himachal Congress Steering Committee, months before state elections.

In a letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Sharma expressed reservations that he has not been kept in the loop of key election strategy meetings and decisions related to poll-bound states and that his self-respect is non-negotiable.

Sharma, who hails from the state, added that he will campaign for the party in the state and would proceed on a four-day tour of the state. In the letter, he cited a multiplicity of committees and overlapping functions.

This comes as a setback to the party ahead of the elections in the state where the party has chances to make a comeback.

Earlier, Azad had declined the role of the campaign committee chairman. Elections in the Union Territories (UTs) of Jammu and Kashmir can be held anytime with the process of finalizing electoral rolls in full swing.

Both the leaders have been denied Rajya Sabha tickets by the party and were reportedly upset over the decision.

In April this year, the party announced key election committees, and Sharma was named as Chairman of the Steering Committee. Former Rajya Sabha deputy leader said that he had requested the general secretary organisation and AICC in charge to clarify the mandate of the steering committee to delineate its mandate and role.

Rift widens as Azad refuses new post as Congress campaign committee chief

“On 20th June meetings of senior leaders including PCC President, CLP leader and Chairman Campaign Committee and those of other committees were held for election preparations. On August 7 and 8, in charge and central AICC observers visited Shimla. Meetings of the core group, senior leaders, and HPCC General house were convened. The Chairman of the Steering Committee was neither informed nor invited for any of the meetings held, not even for the general house,” the letter stated.

The two have been part of the senior party leaders of the G23 grouping that wrote to Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking organisational elections in the party and revamping the functioning of the party. The process of election of Congress president is to be completed between August 21 and September 20 this year.

-PTI