'Self respect is non-negotiable': Anand Sharma quits Himachal party post ahead of elections
Former Union minister Anand Sharma has resigned from the post of the chairman of the steering committee of the Himachal Pradesh Congress. In a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, he said that his self-respect is ”non-negotiable".
FollowIn a big jolt to the Congress ahead of assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, party’s senior leader Anand Sharma on Sunday resigned from the chairmanship of the party’s steering committee for the state. According to reports, Anand Sharma resigned from the position and stated in a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi that his self-respect is "non-negotiable."
Sharma's resignation comes shortly after that of Ghulam Nabi Azad, another member of the G23 grouping, a section of senior party figures pushing for collective leadership in the party, who resigned as head of the Jammu and Kashmir campaign committee a few days ago.
Sharma had complained to the Congress leader about being disregarded throughout the consultation process. He assured Gandhi that he will still advocate for the party candidates in the state, nevertheless.
On April 26, the former federal minister who served as the Congress' second-in-command in the Rajya Sabha was named head of the steering committee for Himachal Pradesh. Anand Sharma and Ghulam Nabi Azad are both well-known figures in the G23 group, which has criticised the actions of the party leadership.
Sharma, one of Himachal Pradesh's tallest leaders, allegedly wrote to the Congress president explaining how his lack of consultation or invitation to any party gatherings has wounded his self-respect. In the next assembly elections, which are expected to take place later this year, the Congress is attempting to depose the BJP in Himachal Pradesh.
Later this year, Himachal Pradesh will have elections for its legislature, and the Congress is attempting to unseat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress, which now only has Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan as its own states, is looking to gain ground in the forthcoming Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Since receiving a Rajya Sabha ticket from the then-prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 after initially running in assembly elections in 1982, Sharma has served in the lower house and held a number of important posts within the party.
