Congress sends Rajeev Shukla to pacify sulking Anand Sharma

A day after senior Congress leader Anand Sharma resigned from the chairmanship of the party's Steering Committee for Himachal Pradesh, interim party president Sonia Gandhi on Monday asked All India Congress Committee in charge of the Himachal Pradesh, Rajeev Shukla to pacify the issue.

Ahead of the Himachal Pradesh polls, Anand Sharma took to Twitter on Sunday and declared that resigned from the chairmanship of the party's steering committee for the state, saying he was left with no choice after the continuing exclusion and insults.

Rajeev Shukla after meeting Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath Residence, met Sharma after a few hours to address the concern.

In a letter to Sonia Gandhi, the senior Congress leader is said to have given details about how he was not consulted or invited to any of the meetings regarding strategy and planning for the assembly elections.

Rajeev Shukla after meeting Sharma said, "Anand Sharma is a member and senior leader of the Congress Working Committee. He is a member of the committee on political affairs and a member of the state election committee. It is our duty to meet him. We have good relations with him and he is dedicated to the party."

Shukla added, "It( Sharma's resignation) is an internal matter and he is not dissatisfied. He himself said that he would campaign for the party."

Sources close to Anand Sharma said the veteran leader will go to Shimla on Tuesday.

On Sunday in a series of tweets Sharma said, "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."

His resignation came after a week after another senior Congress leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad, resigned from the post of the chief of the J-K Congress campaign committee hours after his appointment.

'Committed to Congress ideology that runs in my blood, let there be no doubts about this! However, given the continuing exclusion and insults, as a self-respecting person- I was left with no choice,' Sharma said in a series of tweets.

Shukla downplayed Sharma's resignation and said he was not angry with the party.