Has spent 51 yrs in Congress, not joining BJP: Anand Sharma

Pratibha Chauhan

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Shimla, August 24

Congress leader Anand Sharma today rubbished speculation that he was joining the BJP. He said that he had spent 51 years in the Congress and there was no question of quitting it at the fag end of his life.

Sharma, who made headlines after resigning from the chairmanship of the Congress steering committee for the Assembly elections, arrived here on a two-day visit. “It is time for reflection and course correction. I am indebted to the party for providing me the opportunity to serve at the highest level. I will continue to work for the party, at any position,” he said.

However, discontent was evident as he stressed the need for collective thinking and decision-making to strengthen the party. “All this has been an integral part of the Congress though it has waned over the years. However, the Congress still remains a party where we still have consultations,” he said.

Sharma added, “It is my duty to apprise the party leadership about any issue of concern. Now, the matter is between the AICC president and me.” He, however, desisted from speaking further on his resignation from the steering committee for the Assembly elections. Asked about his meeting with BJP national president JP Nadda, he said that he belongs to the old school of political thought “where one has ideological differences with his opponents but not personal enmity”.

About multiplicity of committees with overlapping roles, Sharma said there was need to delineate the multiplicity of mandate to accommodate people. He added that the country required the Congress to revive to balance the political narrative. “An enfeebled Congress is certainly not in the interest of India,” he said.

Sharma said, “The Congress has its footprints across the country though there is a large territory where we are absent. However, we must work to retrieve the lost ground. There is need to have strong block and district level committees in the party.”

He criticised the state and Central governments for their failure to address issues such as inflation, unemployment, grievances of apple growers and farmers and those of serving and retired Army and central forces personnel.