In a surprising political move, the Congress high command has chosen Anurag Sharma, the District Congress Committee (DCC) president of Kangra, as the party’s candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election from Himachal Pradesh scheduled on March 16.
The decision has caught many in political circles off guard, as speculation had largely centred around senior leaders and political heavyweights such as Anand Sharma, Pratibha Singh and even national-level figures like Pawan Khera and Rajni Patil.
Sharma’s name had not figured in any serious discussion until the Indian National Congress released its official list of candidates on Thursday morning.
The choice is widely seen as a carefully calibrated decision by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who reportedly kept the selection closely guarded until the final announcement.
Sharma, 46, hails from Bir village in the Baijnath Assembly segment of Kangra district and is regarded as a staunch loyalist of the Chief Minister.
His association with the Congress organisation spans more than two decades, beginning from his student days when he served as an office-bearer in the National Students’ Union of India and later in the Indian Youth Congress. Over the years, he also held various organisational responsibilities at the district and state levels.
Interestingly, Sharma belongs to the same Brahmin community and the same Baijnath constituency as Indu Goswami, the outgoing Rajya Sabha MP whom he will replace.
Political observers believe his selection may also help the Congress counter the growing influence of Sudhir Sharma, the BJP MLA from Dharamsala who had earlier defected from the Congress and has been projecting himself as a prominent Brahmin leader in the state.
According to party insiders, Sharma’s elevation is part of a broader political strategy by the Chief Minister to maintain regional and caste balance within the government.
Kangra, the largest district in Himachal Pradesh with 15 Assembly constituencies, has often voiced concerns about inadequate representation in the state cabinet. Currently, only two ministers from the district, Chander Kumar and Yadvinder Goma, are part of the government.
By fielding a Brahmin leader from Kangra, the Congress appears to be addressing these concerns while simultaneously strengthening its social and regional outreach ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Sharma’s political background also adds weight to his candidature. He comes from a political family, with his father having been a prominent Congress leader in the Baijnath area. Notably, Baijnath is now a reserved constituency for Scheduled Castes, which prevents Sharma from contesting Assembly elections, making the Rajya Sabha a viable avenue for his political advancement.
His selection is also being interpreted as a signal of generational change within the Congress, with the party rewarding younger leaders who have remained loyal to the organisation despite not holding major posts.