'INTERNAL MATTER': As dissent grows, Congress sends Rajeev Shukla to PLACATE Anand Sharma

New Delhi: As the dissent grows within the party, the Congress central leadership has now stepped-up efforts to placate senior leader Anand Sharma who has resigned as chairman of the party`s Steering Committee for Himachal Pradesh citing “exclusions and insults.”

According to sources, the Congress entrusted the task of pacifying Sharma to Rajeev Shukla, who is also the AICC in-charge of Himachal Pradesh. Hours after meeting Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath Residence on Monday, Shukla later met Sharma to address his concerns. Rajeev Shukla after meeting Sharma said," Anand Sharma is a member and senior leader of the Congress Working Committee. He is a member of the committee on political affairs and a member of the state election committee. It is our duty to meet him. We have good relations with him and he is dedicated to the party.”

"Shukla added," It (Sharma`s resignation) is an internal matter, and he is not dissatisfied. He himself said that he would campaign for the party" Sources close to Anand Sharma said the veteran leader will go to Shimla on Tuesday.

In a series of tweets on Sunday, Anand Sharma said, "I have resigned with a heavy heart from the Chairmanship of the Steering Committee of the Congress for the Himachal Elections. Reiterating that I am a lifelong Congressman and remain firm on my convictions."

In a letter addressed to Sonia Gandhi, the senior Congress leader is said to have disclosed that he was not consulted or invited to any of the meetings regarding strategy and planning for the upcoming Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.

Anand Sharma took to Twitter on Sunday and declared that he has resigned from the chairmanship of the party`s steering committee for the state, saying he was left with no choice after the continuing “exclusion and insults.” 

"Committed to Congress ideology that runs in my blood, let there be no doubts about this! However, given the continuing exclusion and insults, as a self-respecting person - I was left with no choice" Sharma said in one of his tweets.

Sharma’s resignation came after a week after another senior Congress leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad, resigned from the post of the chief of the J&K Congress campaign committee hours after his appointment. On his part, Shukla also downplayed Sharma`s resignation and said he was not angry with the party.