'Have Been a Congressman for 51 Years, No Question of Quitting': Anand Sharma

Sharma had quit as the chairperson of the party's Steering Committee for Himachal Pradesh on Sunday.

Anand Sharma. 

(Photo: PTI)

Putting speculation of him joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to rest, former Union Minister Anand Sharma, who recently resigned as the chairman of the Congress Steering Committee for Himachal Pradesh, said on Wednesday, 24 August, that he will continue to campaign for the party.

Sharma met Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee chief Pratibha Singh in Shimla ahead of Assembly elections in the state in November.

"I am willing to campaign for Congress wherever required. Congress needs to come out of factionalism and stay united. We are all Congressmen. What is important is that the Congress party stays united," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

"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," Sharma added.

On differences between him and the party high command, Sharma said the matter was between him and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

“I am also a part of the All India Congress Committee and its member for 51 years. In a democracy, some issues come up and it is our duty to apprise the leadership of the same. That is limited to only this extent,” various reports quoted Sharma as saying.

Sharma had quit as the chairperson of the Congress Steering Committee for Himachal Pradesh on Sunday.

Sharma had said, while announcing his resignation, that he was a "lifelong Congressman" and that the Congress' ideology ran in his blood but added that "given the continuing exclusion and insults, as a self-respecting person, I was left with no choice."

(With inputs from ANI.)