The great betrayal: How Sukhu bypasses the man who backed him

New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was once a die-hard follower of former Union minister and senior Congress leader Anand Sharma. It is well-known in Himachal Pradesh political circles that Sukhu was appointed state Congress president in January 2013 on Anand Sharma’s recommendation.

Sukhu was then virtually down and out, having lost the Assembly election from Nadaun in December 2012. The most powerful Congress leader in Himachal Pradesh at the time, Virbhadra Singh, opposed Sukhu’s candidature, but Anand Sharma is said to have persuaded the party leadership to go with his choice. Sukhu led the Himachal Pradesh Congress from January 2013 to January 2019.

In December 2022, Sukhu became Chief Minister after Virbhadra Singh’s death and Kaul Singh Thakur’s defeat in the elections.

But when it came to payback time, Sukhu is alleged to have sidelined Anand Sharma by nominating a relatively unknown figure, Anurag Sharma, to the Rajya Sabha. This decision reportedly ignored Anand Sharma, who had been visiting his former disciple’s office seeking the party ticket.

Anand Sharma is said to have been camping in Kasauli for the past few days and, in anticipation of a nomination, travelled to Shimla on March 4, a day before the last date for filing nomination papers.

Sukhu chose Anurag Sharma, whom he had appointed as Kangra District Congress Committee chief, to send a message to former Congress leader and now BJP legislator Sudhir Sharma. Anurag Sharma, a former president of the Billing Paragliding Association, is said to have once shared a close bond with Sudhir Sharma.