Rebel threat during Dehra Assembly byelection: Congress tries to placate 2022 election candidate

Dharamsala, June 20

The Congress is making all-out effort to pacify HPCC treasurer Rajesh Sharma, who had threatened to rebel against the party and contest as an Independent candidate in the Dehra Assembly byelection.

Sharma was angry at being denied the ticket as the party high command declared Kamlesh Thakur, wife of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, as the candidate for the Dehra byelection.

Sources said the Chief Minister, Minister for Agriculture Chander Kumar, who was the Congress in-charge for the Dehra byelection, and RS Bali, Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation, established contact with Sharma.

Chander Kumar said that he would meet Sharma today. “Rajesh Sharma belongs to a dedicated family of Congress workers. His father was also a Congress leader and Rajesh has been fulfilling all duties assigned to him by the Congress state leadership,” he added.

The minister said, “The Congress had fielded Sharma from the Dehra seat in the 2022 elections but he lost to Hoshiyar Singh. His name was in the panel sent by the state leadership to the high command as a probable candidate for the Dehra bypoll. It was the party high command that decided to field Kamlesh Thakur. Rajesh Sharma should respect the decision of the party.”

Chander Kumar expressed hope that Sharma would abide by the decision and follow the party line. Meanwhile, Sharma was not available for comments and did not respond to repeated calls on his mobile phone. The sources said that Sharma had not yet sent messages to his supporters to join him for filing of nomination papers.

CM, Agri Minister contact Sharma

The Chief Minister, Minister for Agriculture Chander Kumar, who is the Congress in-charge for the Dehra byelection, and RS Bali, Chairman of the HPTDC, established contact with Rajesh Sharma