BJP leader alleges Cong sold Himachal RS seat

BJP leader Rajinder Rana has accused the Congress of selling its lone Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh, days after the ruling party picked an unlikely candidate -- Kangra District Congress Committee president Anurag Sharma. While party stalwarts, including former Union minister Anand Sharma, were seen as strong contenders for the Rajya Sabha nomination, the Congress chose Anurag Sharma, who is considered close to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

In a video released here on Sunday, Rana questioned Sukhu over the decision and alleged that the seat had been sold. “I want to ask the chief minister how much the Rajya Sabha seat was sold for and whether the deal was finalised in Dubai,” Rana, a former Congress leader who had cross-voted in favour of the BJP during the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections and later joined the saffron party, said.

The biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha will be held on March 16. His remarks came days after four-time Rajya Sabha member Anand Sharma had said last week that “self-respect is very expensive” and speaking the truth had become a punishable political crime in today’s times. Anand Sharma was one of the frontrunners for the Rajya Sabha ticket alongside other senior Congress leaders.

However, the Congress high command sprung a surprise by announcing the name of Anurag Sharma. When asked about the development, Anand Sharma said he was not aware of what had transpired and that those in authority had taken the decision “in their wisdom”.