Ashray Sharma quits Congress, praises Himachal CM

Mandi, October 7

Congress general secretary Ashray Sharma, son of Mandi Sadar MLA Anil Sharma, resigned from the primary membership of the party today. He was also the chairperson of the social media campaign committee of the Congress.

Ashray, while addressing mediapersons here, said, “I have resigned from all posts of the Congress and also its primary membership. I have submitted my resignation to the party leadership.”

He criticised Congress leaders and said, “Senior party leaders were responsible for my defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Mandi. Whether it was former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, or senior Congress leader Kaul Singh Thakur or former minister Prakash Chaudhari, they all had campaigned against me during the Lok Sabha elections. My fault was only that I am the grandson of former Union Telecom Minister Pandit Sukh Ram.”

Ashray said, “I regret that I have to leave the Congress but I have no other option. Several Congress leaders have been working for my ouster from the party. They do not want Sukh Ram’s family members in the Congress.”

He said, “I have had no talks with the BJP leadership to join the ruling party. I will be working actively to serve the people of Mandi Sadar, is my home Assembly constituency.”

He targeted Congress president Pratibha Singh saying, “I could not understand that why the party central leadership is still under the influence of this royal family. MP Pratibha Singh is the president of the state Congress while her son Vikramaditya Singh, Congress MLA from Shimla (Rural), is party general secretary.”

Ashray praised Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and said, “I will work to ensure the BJP’s victory because it is a matter of pride for us that the Chief Minister belongs to Mandi. We the people of Mandi district want to retain the post of Chief Minister. Under the leadership of Jai Ram Thakur, the state is progressing on the path of development.”