The North News
Shimla, March 9
BJP leader Rajinder Rana has accused the Congress of selling its lone Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh, days after the ruling party picked an unlikely candidate — Kangra District Congress Committee president Anurag Sharma.
While party stalwarts, including former Union minister Anand Sharma, were seen as strong contenders for the Rajya Sabha nomination, the Congress chose Anurag Sharma, who is considered close to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
In a video released here on Sunday, Rana questioned Sukhu over the decision and alleged that the seat had been sold.
“I want to ask the chief minister how much the Rajya Sabha seat was sold for and whether the deal was finalised in Dubai,” Rana, a former Congress leader who had cross-voted in favour of the BJP during the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections and later joined the saffron party, said.
The biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha will be held on March 16.
His remarks came days after four-time Rajya Sabha member Anand Sharma had said last week that “self-respect is very expensive” and speaking the truth had become a punishable political crime in today’s times.
Anand Sharma was one of the frontrunners for the Rajya Sabha ticket alongside other senior Congress leaders. However, the Congress high command sprung a surprise by announcing the name of Anurag Sharma.
When asked about the development, Anand Sharma said he was not aware of what had transpired and that those in authority had taken the decision “in their wisdom”.
The former Union minister was among the Congress leaders who earlier raised concerns over the party leadership and was part of the G23 — a faction of senior, dissenting leaders within the Congress party who wrote a letter to interim president Sonia Gandhi demanding organisational reforms, collective leadership, and internal elections.
Rana further alleged that discontent was growing within the Congress in the state.
“All sections of society, including women, Congress workers, MLAs, ministers, and contractors, were already worried, but now even the senior Congress leaders who dedicated their lives to the party are worried and feeling humiliated,” Rana said.
Himachal Pradesh is facing a financial emergency, and the chief minister’s friends are enjoying all the perks, he said, adding that people would give a befitting reply to the Congress in the next assembly polls.
Anurag Sharma’s victory is a foregone conclusion as he is the only candidate to file the nomination for the lone Rajya Sabha seat.
