Himachal Congress leader Anand Sharma ‘deeply upset’, keeps cards close to chest

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, February 15

Resentment appears to be brewing in a section of Himachal Congress ranks over the latest Rajya Sabha nomination of the party with a section of leaders arguing that this is the first time the organisation has fielded a non-Himachali and outsider for Rajya Sabha election from the hilly border state.

In touch with loyalists

• It is learnt that Anand Sharma (in pic) is in touch with his loyalist MLAs in the state. Sources said this is the first time the Congress has nominated a non-Himachali for Rajya Sabha election from the state
• “There is resentment over the tradition of sending a Himachali to Rajya Sabha from the state being broken. Let us see what happens,” a Congress leader said
• Sharma was a signatory to the letter G-23 leaders wrote to former Congress President Sonia Gandhi seeking urgent party overhaul

The Congress on Wednesday named senior leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi as its candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election from Himachal Pradesh.

It is further learnt that senior Congress leader, ex union minister and member, Congress Working Committee, Anand Sharma, a hopeful for the RS nomination, is “deeply upset and hurt at the developments”.

Sharma is keeping his cards close to the chest at a time when the BJP, despite dearth of numbers in the state assembly, pulled off a stunner on Thursday by fielding ex Congress leader Harsh Mahajan in the RS poll.

Mahajan had crossed over to the saffron side in September 2022 and is considered close to Anand Sharma. Mahajan was Himachal Pradesh Youth Congress president when Sharma was Indian Youth Congress chief.

It is further learnt that Sharma is in touch with his loyalist MLAs in the state with all eyes on how the RS contest will play out.

Sources said this is the first time the Congress has nominated a non-Himachali for Rajya Sabha election from the state. They add that though some people cite Congress’ 1978 nomination of Mohinder Kaur of the Patiala royal family as one of a non Himachali, the same is not true. “Mohinder Kaur of the Patiala royal family owned properties across regions that were always embedded and intertwined with modern day Himachal Pradesh including Chail, Dochi, Theog and Kumarsain. Oak Over, Himachal CM’s residence, was in fact originally owned by Mohinder Kaur. So she cannot be called a non-Himachali or an outsider,” a senior Congress leader said, adding that there is resentment among sections of state ranks over the long tradition of sending a Himachali to the Rajya Sabha being broken. “Let us see what happens,” said a Congress source.

Meanwhile, people close to Anand Sharma told TNS today that lawmakers loyal to the ex union minister were upset at “insult of the party veteran.”

Sharma, first elected to RS in 1984, is maintaining stoic silence on the developments and is said to have received phone calls from loyalist MLAs.

Anand Sharma had retired from RS in April 2022 after four terms (three from Himachal and one from Rajasthan) and was a signatory to the letter G-23 leaders wrote to former Congress President Sonia Gandhi seeking urgent party overhaul.

In 2016, when the Congress had 36 MLAs in Himachal, Sharma was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from the state. Today with 40 Congress MLAs, the official party nominee is up for a contest.