Anand Sharma’s turn to quit his HP Cong post

CHANDIGARH:  In a blow to the Congress party in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, senior leader Anand Sharma resigned as the chairman of the Himachal Congress Steering Committee on Sunday. 

In a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Sharma said his self-respect has been hurt as the party has not consulted him or invited him to any of the meetings of the core group of the state on election strategy and preparations.   

“On June 20, meetings of senior leaders including PCC President, LP leader and Chairman Campaign Committee were held for election preparations. On August 7 and 8, 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,” he wrote, adding that his self-respect is non-negotiable. 

After Sonia Gandhi had in April appointed new HPCC president, CLP leader, chairman of campaign committee and the AICC announced eight other committees, including a steering committee with him as the chairman, Sharma had sought clarity from AICC general secretary in charge of organisation  K C Venugopal on the multiplicity of committees and overlapping of functions.

“I had requested the AICC general secretary in charge of organisation and AICC in-charge to clarify the mandate of the steering committee,’’ he wrote in the letter. His resignation comes days after another Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad quit as the Jammu and Kashmir Congress Campaign Committee Chairman.  

Both Sharma and Azad are prominent members of the G-23 group which has been demanding transparent organisational elections in the party.  Sharma told the party president that he will continue to campaign for the party candidates in the state.