Sudhir accused of working against party during bypoll

Lallit Mohan
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, October 23

Simmering discontent in the Congress has come to the fore before the declaration of the results of the Dharamsala bypoll tomorrow. Congress candidate Vijay Inder Karan today demanded action against former minister and AICC secretary Sudhir Sharma for “working against the party” during the bypoll.

Karan said the party chose him as a candidate after Sudhir decided against contesting at the last moment. “The entire party worked hard for the Congress. Senior leadership of party, including HPCC president Kuldeep Rathore and CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri, worked hard for me. Former CM Virbhadra Singh, who was not keeping well, issued an appeal seeking votes for me. Former minister GS Bali, despite his ill health, issued an appeal and also came to Dharamsala personally for me,” he said.

“However, it was unfortunate that Sudhir, who had contested twice from Dharamsala, did not issue even a single appeal to voters,” Karan alleged, adding that Sudhir came to Dharamsala on the last day of campaigning and organised a meeting of polling booth level workers in which he narrated them the ‘Sadhu and mouse’ story. This was a clear indication to voters that they should work for BJP, he said.

Karan alleged that Sudhir was in league with the BJP. He had been promised a Rajya Sabha seat by the party. He said the report regarding Sudhir and his supporters who worked against the Congress had been sent to the party high command.

While responding to queries of media that there was no booth of Congress in Rakkar area where the residence of Sudhir Sharma was located, Vijay Inder Karan said that he had left the Rakkar area management with former minister and it was a fact that the party did not even had a polling booth there.

Calling the charges baseless, Sudhir said Congress observer Yogesh Sahni was also present at the meeting organised by him. On no Congress booth in Rakkar, he said booths were managed by the candidate, not him.