In yet another jolt to the Congress Party, former Union Minister Anand Sharma resigned as chairman of the Grand Old Party’s steering committee for Himachal Pradesh. His resignation at this time assumes major significance as the State goes to polls a few months from now.
In a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the former Deputy Leader of Opposition in RÃ jya Sabha said that he was kept out of the consultation process and his self-respect is “non-negotiable”. However, Sharma asserted he will be a Congressman
lifelong .
“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,” he said in a tweet. In a second tweet, Sharma said, “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.”
His resignation comes soon after another leader of the G-23 dissident group Ghulam Nabi Azad resigned as chairman of the campaign committee in Jammu and Kashmir a few days ago.
Sharma told the Congress chief that he has been ignored in the consultation process. However, he conveyed that he will continue to campaign for the party candidates in the State. He was appointed as chairman of the Steering Committee in Himachal Pradesh on April 26.
Sharma, who is considered one of the tallest leaders of Himachal Pradesh, has reportedly told the Congress president in his letter that his self-respect has been hurt as he has not been consulted or invited to any of the meetings of the party.
The Congress is seeking to wrest power from the BJP in Himachal Pradesh in the Assembly polls slated later this year. Sharma, who first contested Assembly elections in 1982 and was given a Rajya Sabha ticket by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984, has been a Rajya Sabha member ever since and has occupied several key positions in the party.