Congress Pays Heavy Price For Inducting Pappu Yadav, Veteran Anil Sharma Quits Party

Patna: The Congress has suffered a major setback in Bihar ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha polls on Sunday, March 31, as former state president Anil Sharma quit the party. Anil Sharma cited partnership with Lalu Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal for parting ways with the grand old Congress party. 

Anil Sharma announced at a press conference on Sunday that he has resigned from the Congress party, alleging that there is no democracy in the Congress party. “Congress leadership cannot assert itself before the domineering ally,” said Anil Sharma suggesting that the party cadre was upset due to the same. 

Sharma said that Congress is stuck in a "disastrous" partnership with the RJD. “I have, since my state president days, been critical of the tie-up with RJD which has helped them thrive at our expense. In the eyes of the people, we have only ended up being held guilty of supporting the jungle raj of Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi,” said Sharma during the press conference. 

Out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, the RJD is contesting 26, leaving nine for Congress and five for three Left parties.

Pappu Yadav's Induction A Reason to Quit 

Upon being asked if he is quitting the Congress party because it inducted former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, Sharma responded positively. Sharma voiced disgust over the recent induction of Pappu Yadav, which he claimed was done “with much fanfare”. 

Pappu Yadav recently joined the Congress party, merging his Jan Adhikar Party, in exchange for a Lok Sabha ticket from Purnea, however, the RJD gave symbol to JDU turncoat Bima Bharti from the Purnea Lok Sabha seat. 

Mallikarjun Kharge Can't Take Decisions: Sharma's Big Charge 

Anil Sharma alleged that Congress' national president Mallikarjun Kharge cannot take any decision without consulting Rahul Gandhi or his close aide KC Venugopal. 

"Today, the party leadership is busy with a rally in Delhi where it is talking of the need to save democracy. Sadly, though, no democracy can be seen in the Congress where even our duly elected national president can take no step without consulting Rahul Gandhi or his close aide KC Venugopal," said Sharma during the press conference on Sunday. 

4th Former President to Resign in a Decade 

“I joined Congress in 1985. In nearly four decades, I held organisational posts twice, as state general secretary and then as state president. Never did I lobby for a ticket or a legislative council berth for myself. Nor have I explored possibilities in any other party before quitting the Congress,” said Anil Sharma expressing his disappointment.  

Sharma became the fourth former Bihar Congress president to have quit the party in nearly a decade. The latest instance was that of Ashok Chaudhary, who quit the party and joined JD(U) in 2018, a few months after a factional feud caused him to give up the state president's post.

However, Bihar Congress media cell chairman Rajesh Rathore issued a statement slamming Sharma for trying to make "a cowardly escape" and find "an excuse for falling at the feet of Narendra Modi". 

(With Inputs From Agencies)