Congress Faces New Crisis In Himachal: Minister’s Son Quits Party After Levelling Corruption Charges

Locked in a bitter battle with the opposition BJP over the outcome of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and  Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh is finding itself in new turmoil—an in-house trouble involving the son of a senior cabinet minister and OBC leader, Chander Kumar.

Neeraj Bharti, 57, a former party MLA and PCC vice president, has rebelled against the government, questioning the ‘style and form of governance’ in the state that has completely eroded the faith of the people in general, not alone the grassroots Congress workers. 

"The workers whose toil brought the Congress to power are feeling let down. The outcome of the polls to ULBs and PRIs reflects the mood of the people, who no longer favour the Congress," he said. 

Bharti has tendered his resignation from the party’s key post and escalated his attack on the Chief Minister, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, and the government led by him, levelling charges of corruption—'suitcase politics,' as he alleges.

In his two-page resignation letter addressed to PCC president Vinay Kumar, Bharti alleged that the past three years of the Congress government have been highly disappointing, utterly dismal, and marked by a complete failure to live up to the people's expectations.

He claimed that the government had failed to address key public concerns, neglected party workers and grassroots leaders, and drifted away from the principles and promises on which it had sought the people's mandate in 2022.

“The government has 'let down the hardworking, resilient, and dedicated Congress workers who fought against all odds and played a pivotal role in establishing the Congress government," he claimed.

After putting a series of posts on social media, wherein he straightaway spoke about how corruption has crept into the system, as even payments of the contractors are released only after an appropriate ‘cut’, Bharti said, “CM Sukhu only promises but never delivers."

Even as the chief minister on Friday refused to respond to Bharti’s resignation issue and the charges he had levelled, PCC general secretary Vinod Jinta said: “his (Bharti's) resignation has been accepted."

This morning, Bharti told mediapersons that his Facebook account has been blocked/suspended. “I am left with no option but to express my views in the media."

Curiously, his father, Chander Kumar, the agriculture and animal husbandry minister, snubbed his son for resorting to wild charges against the government without realising how much damage this could cause to the party/government's image.

Dissociating himself from Bharti’s stance, the minister condemned the allegations yet added that the party upholds and respects freedom of expression, but the forum chosen by him was not "right."

“If Bharti had any concerns regarding the party or government's functioning, he should have raised them through the appropriate organisational channels and before the party leadership," said Father.

Having served as a public representative and vice president of the party’s state unit of the party, Bharti was expected to act with greater responsibility and restraint.

 He said that engaging in public accusations and counter-accusations has not only damaged the image of the party but has also diminished Bharti's own political stature. Raising such issues on social media platforms is neither constructive nor appropriate.

But Bharti’s outburst, many believe, is a reflection of the growing frustration in a section of the party cadres, particularly those having allegiance to former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and the anti-Sukhu camp, for having been systematically marginalised or remaining at the receiving end in the power structure. 

 “Bharti's resignation is thus being viewed not merely as an isolated act of dissent but as a manifestation of deeper undercurrents within the ruling party that could pose a challenge to the leadership ahead of next year’s assembly polls," admits a young cabinet minister, who has suggested resolving the issue through dialogue with Bharti.

Bharti is known for being an outspoken person, often taking to social media to air his views bluntly, not bothering about his father being part of the government and a minister. His revolt, however, is unlikely to pose a threat to the government's stability.

Sukhu remains firmly in the saddle after having successfully weathered the 2024 political crisis triggered by the rebellion of six Congress MLAs; four of them lost their seats later in the by-election.

Yet, the opposition BJP has jumped in to cash in on his rebellion. 

 In a statement, former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, who is also the leader of the opposition, said the allegations levelled against the Chief Minister by a senior office-bearer of his own party are “deeply embarrassing."

 “Such accusations against a chief minister are unimaginable, and silence on such a massive corruption scandal is enough to draw suspicion about the entire affair,” he said.

Thakur says, "CM Sukhu will not be able to conceal the government’s corruption for long by lying and misleading the public.