Shimla civic poll reflects Congress' inner-party rivalry

The presence of Virbhadra Singh and Anand Sharma, both Congress member and union ministers in UPA-II, in the campaigning for the Shimla civic polls has brought out the rivalry between the two leaders and infightings within the state Congress in the limelight.

Anand Sharma, the union commerce minister, is a Shimla boy but is often considered, by many, as a settler and an outsider with no mass following in the state. He made some noises a day before about being born and brought up in Shimla.

Virbhadra Singh, on the other hand has not been able to make his mark as union MSME minister in UPA-II.

 

Singh, a five time chief minister, is seen as a mass leader but Anand Sharma’s performance at the Centre and his proximity to the high command is a matter of serious concern for Virbhadra.

Singh is not seen as a flatterer of Sonia Gandhi, and a rebel even though he claims to be a faithful party soldier who has stuck around for fifty years in the party. Singh believes he is indispensible for the high command because of his mass appeal in the state.

For the moment Singh is fighting for the leadership post against Himachal congress chief Kaul Singh, and, Vidya Stokes, leader of the opposition in the Assembly and, now, Anand Sharma, the powerful central minister.

Sharma’s presence in the civic polls has somewhat rattled him.

“He is a big minister while I am a ground level leader. But do remember I am also the seventh most senior minister in the Singh cabinet,” he said, making it amply clear to the high command that he is fit to shepherd the party in the forthcoming assembly polls later this year. “But yet I don’t mind campaigning for the party at any level even at the ward level in the Shimla civic polls.”