A fresh political storm has erupted within the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh after former Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) and ex-MLA from Jawali, Neeraj Bharti, resigned from his post as vice-president of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) on Thursday, hours after being served a show-cause notice by the party for repeatedly criticising the state government and party leadership on social media.
Bharti, who is the son of senior Cabinet Minister Chaudhary Chander Kumar, submitted his resignation to HPCC president Vinay Kumar and Kangra District Congress Committee president Anurag Sharma. The development is being seen as one of the most significant indications of growing unease within the ruling Congress since it returned to power in the state in December 2022.
In his resignation letter, Bharti launched a scathing attack on the functioning of the Congress government led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. He alleged that thousands of dedicated party workers, who fought against the BJP and worked tirelessly to bring the Congress back to power, had been ignored after the formation of the government.
According to Bharti, grassroots workers who played a crucial role in the party’s electoral victory now feel neglected, unheard and sidelined. He claimed that a widening disconnect between the government and party workers had created frustration and disappointment among loyal Congress cadres across the state.
“The workers who carried the party flag during difficult times are feeling helpless today,” Bharti stated in his resignation letter. He added that he could no longer reconcile himself with the prevailing circumstances and had therefore decided to relinquish his organisational responsibility.
While expressing gratitude to the party leadership and workers for their support, Bharti said he hoped the concerns of dedicated Congress workers would be taken seriously in the future.
Earlier in the day, Kangra District Congress Committee president Anurag Sharma had issued a show-cause notice to Bharti, accusing him of indiscipline and seeking an explanation for his public criticism of the party and the state government through social media posts. He was directed to submit his reply within 10 days, failing which disciplinary action could be initiated against him.
