On his first visit to Shimla three days after resigning as the chairman of the Congress's Steering Committee for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, senior party leader and ex-Union minister Anand Sharma Wednesday expressed his concern over factionalism in the Himachal Congress, saying it may hurt the party's prospects in the polls slated for November. As he met his supporters and state Congress workers in a city hotel, Sharma, while interacting with media persons, stressed on the need for the grand old party to put up a "united fight" in the upcoming elections, asserting that “I will continue to be part of the campaigning and nothing will come in the way of that”. A key leader of the Congress's “G-23 group”, Sharma quit the party's HP panel in view of “the continuing exclusion and insults, as a self-respecting person”. In his letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Sharma, conveying his decision to quit, stated that he was “neither informed nor invited” for the meetings of the core group of the Himachal Congress and senior leaders on election strategy and preparations held in Delhi and Shimla recently. Referring to “groupism” within the HP Congress, Sharma told reporters, "Factionalism is a cause of concern which can hurt our prospects. Candidates should be chosen on the basis of their work and their image among party workers, not on the basis of which group they belong to.” Referring to his letter to Gandhi, Sharma said, "I have mentioned certain things in a letter which is now the property of the Congress party. I will be waiting to hear about it." Sharma was welcomed amid much fanfare and music at the hotel, with the event being projected as a show of strength by his supporters. On Thursday, he is likely to hold a press conference. "I do not belong to group A or group B. I belong to this state and I am for everyone. One of my main efforts will to be bring all the (Congress) groups together. You cannot start the competition already. Regarding decisions, there may not be unanimity but there should be a consensus. There should be a commitment to the ideology of the party, not individuals," Sharma said. Regarding the Congress's poll strategy for the November polls, he maintained that there should be clear "dealienation of mandate" and that multiple committees and heads could lead to "overlapping of jurisdiction". To a question whether he was sidelined, Sharma said, "Ye ghar ke vishay hain (these are internal party matters)." On some leaders leaving the Congress ahead of polls, Sharma said,"We can't have one size fits all. There are people who have expectations that may not have been met. Or they feel that recognition is more important. Some people feel they have been neglected and pushed out. This is a malaise that not only impacts Congress but also BJP." Referring to national politics, Sharma said the Congress's survival is crucial for healthy functioning of the country's democracy, adding that "Indian politics is at a stage where we have to ensure we retain our character and vibrancy. It is perhaps time for reflection. This country requires a renewal of Congress survival. This is a party where you can express yourself and historically as well there has been respect (in it) for opinions.” He also attacked the BJP for “failing” in crucial areas like price rise and inflation and for having brought an “ill-thought-out policy” for short-term recruitment in armed forces, Agniveer. "In many ways, both engines (ruling BJP in state and at the Centre) have failed. There is a crisis in many sectors and they have failed the people's mandate," he charged. Sharma also met the HP Congress chief, Pratibha Singh, wife of party stalwart late Virbhadra Singh, during the day.
