Amidst the outrage against the top leadership, the Congress has suspended two senior party workers for voicing opinion against the party high command.
While Rajasthan MlA Bhanwar lal Sharma was suspended a day after he voiced his opinion against party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, senior Assam Congress leader Anil Raja faced suspension for his alleged anti-party activities.“Sharma has been suspended by the PCC chief on direction by the AICC general secretary in charge Gurudas Kamat,” PCC spokesperson Archna Sharma said. Sharma had attacked the leadership of Rahul saying he was directionless and surrounded by advisers who lack political understanding.
Calling Rahul an ‘MD of the Congressi Circus’, Sharma said Sonia should shift her focus towards strengthening and restructuring the party in a democratic manner instead of showing affection for Rahul. When contacted, Sharma said that he was not aware whether he was suspended but said he did not care about the action.
“I am not bothered about the action. I was right in saying that Rahul is surrounded by such advisors who have no ground, no support and they all were responsible for the party defeat. The way the party is functioning now is very unfortunate,” he said. A six-time MlA, Sharma represents Sardarshahar constituency in the Rajasthan assembly, in which Congress has 21 MlAs, including him. In 2013 Assembly elections, BJP stormed to power with winning 163 out of 200 seats.
Sharma said he would launch a statewide “jagrati abhiyan” (awareness campaign) against the Congress and invite other former and like-minded Congressmen to join him. “I am not worried of AICC’s action whether it suspended me from the party’s primary membership becasue all of those including Sachin Pilot and Gurudas Kamat had already lost the lS battle and Rahul Gandhi is demoralised...Why should I worry for themIJ” Sharma said.
Anil Raja in Assam too was suspended from the party for his alleged anti-party activities. “Raja has been suspended with immediate effect from the party due to his continuous anti-party activities,” Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhubaneswar Kalita said in a statement here. Raja was earlier removed from the post of party general secretary on AICC directives. Kalita urged all partymen to remain united and disciplined to confront the political challenges being faced by Congress. Raja had lost the 2009 lok Sabha polls as a Congress candidate from Nowgong.