Congress puts up united face as Anand Sharma, Vikramaditya file nomination

A couple of months after political upheaval rattled the chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led state government after cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections, Congress put up a united face as public works department minister Vikramaditya Singh and former Union minister Anand Sharma filed their nominations from Mandi and Kangra Lok Sabha seats respectively. Sukhu, party’s state unit chief Pratibha Singh and party in-charge for Himachal Rajeev Shukla, deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri, co in-charge AICC secretary Sanjay Dutt accompanied Vikramaditya to the office of returning officer for nomination filing Later addressing the public meeting, the Congress leaders lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party. What’s more astonishing is that he does not even find a place in the vehicle.” He also highlighted the contribution of Virbhadra and Pratibha Singh, both of whom have represented Mandi in the Lok Sabha, towards developing the constituency, adding, “Vikramaditya will stand with the people of Mandi in the long run.” Former Union minister and Congress candidate from Kangra parliamentary constituency, Anand Sharma, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the first time in his four-decade long career, also filed his nomination papers in Dharamshala. Today, when our opponents come among people, answers should be sought from them about the promises they made to you,” he said, adding, “There are several problems that people are facing in Himachal and the whole country like unemployment and inflation.” Sharma, who will take on BJP candidate Rajeev Bhardwaj, a relative of former CM Shanta Kumar, is banking on his contribution to the development of Kangra region when he was a Union minister in the UPA government.