Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], March 9 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Congress on Monday organised a felicitation programme at the party's state headquarters, Rajiv Bhawan, in Shimla, to welcome newly elected Rajya Sabha MP Anurag Sharma, who was elected unopposed to the Upper House.

Earlier in the day, 48-year-old Youth Congress leader and Kangra District Congress Committee president Anurag Sharma received his Certificate of Election from the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Secretariat after being declared elected to the Rajya Sabha. The certificate was handed over at the Assembly Secretariat after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended, and Sharma remained the sole candidate in the fray.

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Following the declaration, Sharma met Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania and later proceeded to Rajiv Bhawan, where Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, cabinet ministers and party legislators attended a felicitation ceremony held in his honour.

The programme witnessed enthusiastic participation from Congress workers who welcomed the newly elected MP with drums, garlands and slogans.

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Sharma will assume office after the term of the current Rajya Sabha MP Indu Goswami ends on April 9.

"I thought the call on Holi was a prank", said Sharma.

Addressing party workers at Rajiv Bhawan, Sharma thanked the party's central and state leadership as well as Congress workers for reposing faith in him.

"On the day of Holi, when I received the call that I had been nominated for the Rajya Sabha, initially, I thought someone was joking with me because it was Holi. But this victory belongs to the workers," Sharma said.

He also expressed gratitude to district Congress presidents and party workers across the state.

Sharma said he hopes to see the Congress government return to power in Himachal Pradesh and promised a strong political performance in Kangra district.

"In the coming time, we want to see Mission Repeat for the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh. From Kangra district, we will ensure victory on all 15 Assembly seats and from the remaining districts at least one seat each," he said.

Highlighting his political journey, Sharma said he began his career in 1994 as an NSUI worker and never imagined reaching such a position.

"I joined NSUI in 1994 as a worker. I never imagined that I would reach such a big position. I have struggled since student life, and I am ready to continue that struggle," he said.

Responding to allegations that he had concealed assets in a complaint filed in Dharamshala, Sharma said all his financial records were transparent.

"All details have already been filed along with the balance sheet and RTI documents. Whatever property I have is inherited property. My father was a Class-I contractor and has been earning for the last 40 years," he said.

"I am not an unworthy son. If I have inherited property and business from my father, I am taking it forward. All payments come through cheque, GST is paid, and taxes are paid properly," Sharma added.

He also outlined his priorities as a Member of Parliament, stating that he would raise issues related to tourism expansion, adventure tourism, medical tourism, better transport connectivity and railway development in Himachal Pradesh in Parliament and before the central government.

The Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said that the Congress leaders stood with the party candidate."40 Congress MLAs stood united", Mukesh said.

Speaking at the felicitation programme, he said that Sharma's election symbolised recognition of grassroots workers within the party.

"The central leadership decided that the Rajya Sabha candidate would be from Himachal Pradesh. I thank the leadership for that decision. Perhaps this is the first time in the country that a district Congress president has been elected to the Rajya Sabha," Agnihotri said.

He also recalled the political developments during the previous Rajya Sabha election.

"Last time, some MLAs were broken away, including six from Congress. But this time all 40 Congress MLAs stood firmly with the party and elected the Congress candidate," he said.

Agnihotri said the BJP did not even field a candidate in the election."The BJP did not even dare to file a candidate," he said.

Calling on party workers to strengthen the organisation, Agnihotri said the Congress government would return to power in the state.

"Anurag has spoken about Mission Repeat. The Chief Minister will present the budget, and we will go to the grassroots and implement a people-friendly budget so that the Congress government returns," he said.

He also accused the previous BJP government of leaving the state with heavy debt.

"The previous BJP government left a debt of about ₹70,000 crore on Himachal Pradesh. At the same time, GST compensation and revenue deficit grants were stopped," Agnihotri said.

The CM refuting the BJP's allegation on the newly elected Rajyasabha MP of the Congress party, he said he is rich from his ancestral property and is a common worker of the party.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu defended the choice of Sharma as the Rajya Sabha candidate and rejected allegations made by the opposition that a wealthy individual had been described as an ordinary party worker.

"Rahul Gandhi has made an ordinary worker who emerged from the organisation a Member of Parliament. This has created enthusiasm among party workers," Sukhu said.

Responding to criticism from Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, Sukhu said wealth alone could not determine whether someone was an ordinary worker.

"Can't an ordinary worker be a crorepati? Anurag Sharma's property was inherited from his father. It is not wealth earned from politics," Sukhu said.

The Chief Minister said Sharma had been associated with the Congress organisation for decades.

"He has been with the organisation since the NSUI days and has worked for nearly 24 years. Those who grow through the organisation are given importance," he said.

Taking a swipe at the previous BJP government, Sukhu alleged that large government contracts were given to contractors close to former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur."Jai Ram Thakur gave building contracts worth about ₹1,000 crore to his contractor friends," Sukhu alleged.

The Chief Minister, however, declined to comment on several other allegations raised by the opposition. The felicitation ceremony at Rajiv Bhawan was attended by several Congress leaders, including cabinet ministers Harsh Vardhan Chauhan and Yadvinder Goma, MLAs Kishori Lal, Kuldeep Rathore, Malender Rajan and Harish Janartha, along with party workers and supporters. (ANI)

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