TNR News Network
New Delhi:
In what has triggered renewed speculation within political circles, senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Anand Sharma, who belongs to Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, resigned from the post of Chairman of the Congress’ Foreign Affairs Department (AICC) on Sunday (August 10, 2025).
While the official line from Anand Sharma points to a generational transition, the timing of the resignation — just days after his participation in an international diplomatic mission on Operation Sindoor endorsed by the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre — has raised questions about whether there’s more to the move than meets the eye.
Though Anand Sharma continues to remain a member of the powerful Congress Working Committee (CWC), insiders suggest that his departure from the key post signals not just a personal decision but also an evolving equation between the party high command and its veteran leaders.
Anand Sharma was recently part of an all-party delegation sent abroad after Operation Sindoor, which was a strategic outreach initiative launched by the government to present India’s position on cross-border terrorism. The delegation included representatives from across party lines — BJP’s Anurag Thakur and Rajiv Pratap Rudy, AAP’s Vikramjit Singh Sahney and Congress MP Manish Tewari, among others.
Crucially, the Modi government handpicked Anand Sharma from a list of names submitted by the Congress. The fact that only his name was cleared by the Centre for the delegation raised eyebrows within party circles. Some viewed this as tacit recognition of Anand Sharma’s foreign policy acumen by the ruling establishment, while others saw it as a signal of his perceived distance from the current Congress leadership.
Anand Sharma says he’s making way for next generation
In his resignation letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Anand Sharma wrote: “In my considered view, the committee needs to be reconstituted to bring in younger leaders of potential and promise. That will ensure continuity in its functioning.”
He expressed gratitude to the party for entrusting him with the role but emphasised the need for generational change within the department. However, the context of his resignation, following international engagement and amidst ongoing intra-party realignments, has led to more nuanced interpretations.
G-23 ‘legacy’ and the quiet exit of a veteran
Anand Sharma is no stranger to intra-party dissent. He was part of the G-23, a group of senior Congress leaders who, in 2020, wrote to then interim president Sonia Gandhi demanding sweeping organisational reforms. The group included leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal, Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tewari — many of whom have since exited or been sidelined within the party.
While Anand Sharma did not leave the Congress, his gradual distancing from the core leadership became evident over time. He had unsuccessfully contested the last Lok Sabha election from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh.
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