Sudhir puts up show of strength in Dharamsala

Lalit Mohan

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Dharamsala, March 29

Former minister and AICC secretary Sudhir Sharma today organised a youth rally at Zorawar stadium here. The rally, which witnessed an impressive gathering, was being seen as a show of strength by him.

Sudhir Sharma had been lying low in the constituency since the Congress lost the last Municipal Corporation elections. His detractors within the party had been gaining strength. They also accused Sudhir of defeating the party in the MC elections held last year.

Sudhir Sharma said, “The rally was organized for the youth of the area. They are the future of the state and in the programme organized today, we distributed sports kits to youth clubs”.

Sudhir Sharma said if the Congress was voted to power, the state government would set up a sports university in Dharamsala. “The present BJP government has ignored the youth and unemployment was at its peak. We would be organizing sports events in Dharamsala to keep the unemployed youth engaged till they get employment”, he said.

Sudhir had declined to contest the Dharamsala byelection in 2019. The Congress had to field a greenhorn Vijay Inder Karan who lost his security deposit. Karan accused Sudhir Sharma of working against the party. Last year during the Dharamsala MC elections also, sharp differences were witnessed between former Mayor and Congress leader Davinder Jaggi and Sudhir Sharma.

Sudhir Sharma lost the last Assembly elections from Dharamsala to BJP candidate Kishan Kapoor in 2017.

Sudhir is remembered in Dharamsala for the developmental works carried out in the constituency.

Sudhir is credited with bringing Smart City project to Dharamsala, improving streets and power quality in the constituency, etc. However, to pose challenge to the BJP in the Assembly elections, he would have to bring together the splinter groups of Congress and forge a united front.