Why Himachal Congress V-P exit fuels CM Sukhu worry, betrays discontent before 2027

In his resignation letter, Bharti alleged that grassroots Congress workers were being ignored and were unable to get their work done despite the party being in power. Bharti, who had earlier expressed resentment over the Sukhu government’s functioning, also made several posts on social media levelling allegations over issues related to contractors’ payments in the state.

CM Sukhu sought to downplay the development, describing it as “not a big issue”. However, the controversy refused to die down, with Bharti’s Facebook account reportedly remaining inaccessible on Friday night, further fuelling speculation. Bharti’s resignation was accepted Friday.

On Saturday, the Congress expelled Bharti from the party for six years. Kangra District Congress Committee chief Anurag Sharma said, “Bharti’s primary membership has been cancelled for six years for his anti-party activities.”

The row comes at a politically sensitive time for the Congress. The party recently suffered defeats in three of the four municipal corporations that went to polls in May, while both the Congress and the BJP have been engaged in making competing claims about their wins in the gram panchayat elections. Following the setbacks in the Urban Local Body (ULB) elections, the Congress constituted three fact-finding committees to ascertain the reasons behind its poor performance.

Congress rifts

Bharti is not the first Congress leader to publicly raise concerns about the treatment of party workers. On April 21, senior Congress leader and ex-minister Kaul Singh Thakur had expressed similar concerns, saying that party workers were feeling sidelined despite the party being in power.

Pratibha Singh, former state Congress chief and wife of six-time Himachal CM late Virbhadra Singh, had previously flagged this issue even before the party high command in Delhi.

While Bharti received some support from some Congress leaders – including Pratibha Singh, who argued that his concerns should have been heard before his resignation was accepted – another party section viewed his actions as a “breach of party discipline”.

Several Congress leaders privately questioned the manner in which Bharti aired his grievances.

A Congress leader, who is also an MLA, even questioned the decision to appoint Bharti as one of the state party vice-presidents. Bharti was among the 12 vice-presidents appointed by the state Congress leadership on March 30.

“It is not the first time that Neeraj Bharti has expressed his displeasure publicly. Last year, he even announced through Facebook that his father, Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar, would resign. At that time, the party treated it as an immature act. But when a vice-president raises organisational issues on social media instead of taking them up through party forums, it amounts to indiscipline,” the Congress leader said. “Even the high command should ask who recommended Neeraj Bharti for the post of vice-president.”

Himachal Congress general secretary (organisation) Vinod Zinta acknowledged that concerns regarding grassroots workers had been brought to the notice of state Congress president Vinay Kumar but declined to comment further. “These issues are in the knowledge of the state Congress president,” Zinta told The Indian Express.

A senior state Congress leader, however, rejected the charge that party workers were being ignored. “One only needs to visit the field to see that Congress workers are getting priority and importance. But it is not possible to accommodate everyone or fulfill every demand. Those raising objections are only a handful, while a much larger number of workers are satisfied,” he said.

The BJP has seized upon the controversy to attack the ruling party. State BJP president Rajeev Bindal described Bharti’s resignation as “evidence of growing fissures within the Congress”.

“The resignation of a vice-president of the Congress has exposed the party’s condition. Dissidence will only grow in the coming days. The government neither has the capacity nor the intent to address these grievances,” Bindal said.

For the Congress leadership, the Bharati episode may not pose any immediate threat, but it has again highlighted a recurring concern within the party as to whether its cadre feels sufficiently heard and rewarded in a government they helped bring to power.

Downplaying the long-term impact of the row, a Congress insider said, “Indeed, the result of ULB polls is a setback for the party but there is still time before the Assembly elections.”

Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar dismissed his son’s allegations and criticised his decision to raise his concerns publicly. “The Congress and the government function within a framework of discipline and collective responsibility. If Neeraj Bharti had any concerns regarding the party’s functioning, he should have raised them through the appropriate organisational channels and before the party leadership. Having himself served as a public representative and state party vice-president, Bharti was expected to act with greater responsibility and restraint,” he said.

Kumar, who is the sitting Jawali MLA in Kangra district, also said: “Engaging in public accusations and counter-accusations has not only damaged the image of the party but has also diminished Bharti’s own political stature. Raising such issues on social media platforms is neither constructive nor appropriate.”