'Congress Needs To Come Out Of Factionalism': Anand Sharma After Quitting Party's Himachal Panel

Anand Sharma, a member of the party's G-23 grouping, also said the Congress needs to revive collectively and not by having any groups

Days after he resigned as chairman of the Congress's steering committee for poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, senior leader Anand Sharma on Wednesday said the party needs to come out of factionalism and stay united. Sharma, a member of the party's G-23 grouping, also said the Congress needs to revive collectively and not by having any groups, ANI reported.

"If we bring about some internal changes, renewal and revival of Congress will be done. Congress cannot revive by having A group or B group, Congress collectively has to revive," ANI quoted Sharma as saying.

However, the veteran leader said he would campaign for the Congress party "wherever it is required".

"Congress needs to come out of factionalism and stay united. We are all Congressmen. What is important is that the Congress party stays strong," he said.

With Congress set to hold an election this month to choose its next president, Sharma said it was important that the Nehru-Gandhi family remained integral.

"We elected Rahul Gandhi as Congress president in 2018, but it was he who resigned, we did not ask him to resign. It is important that the Nehru-Gandhi family remains integral. Congress does require inclusive and collective thinking and approach," Sharma said.

Rahul Gandhi had resigned as Congress president after the party suffered its second consecutive defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Sonia Gandhi, who took over the reins of the party again as interim president, had also offered to quit in August 2020 after a revolt by G-23 leaders, but the Congress Working Committee (CWC) had urged her to continue.

Last week, Sharma resigned from the chairmanship of the party's steering committee for Himachal Pradesh, saying he was left with no choice after the "continuing exclusion and insults".

Sharma, in a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, was learnt to have said he was not consulted on the planning for the assembly elections and cited several examples where he was not invited for discussions.

"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," Sharma had tweeted.

The resignation came days after another leader of the G-23 grouping, Ghulam Nabi Azad, stepped down as chairman of the campaign committee in Jammu and Kashmir.