Dharamshala MLA himself was accused of masterminding failed Operation Lotus
Sunil Chadha
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh politics descended into another bitter exchange this week after BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma from Dharamshala called Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu a “cartoon” in a Facebook post that has now gone viral.
Sudhir Sharma shared the CM’s photograph alongside a sketch with the caption, “For the first time in Himachal’s history – the sketch of a cartoon.”
By 1 pm on Thursday (October 23, 2025), the post attracted over 336 comments and 51 shares, drawing sharp criticism from both Congress supporters and neutral observers. Several users demanded that an FIR be registered against Sharma for using “derogatory” language against the Chief Minister.
One user, Kapil Sharma, wrote, “Is it right to call the CM a cartoon? Such people shouldn’t be elected representatives. An FIR must be filed.”
Another user, Vijay Bhatti, asked Sudhir Sharma to maintain political decorum, saying, “Even if you disagree with someone’s politics, mocking them personally shows poor taste. A leader is also a father and husband, think how his children must feel seeing this.”
Former Congress leader-turned-BJP MLA faces backlash
Interestingly, Sudhir Sharma’s political journey itself has been marked by controversy. Elected on the Congress ticket in 2022, he switched sides to the BJP after being denied a ministerial berth in the Sukhu government.
The Congress later called him the mastermind of the failed Operation Lotus, the BJP’s alleged bid to topple the Congress government following the Rajya Sabha elections in February 2024, when Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost due to cross-voting.
Six Congress MLAs and three Independents voted in favour of BJP’s nominee Harsh Mahajan, leading to a major political storm. The six defectors were later disqualified under the anti-defection law. In May 2024, Sudhir Sharma contested the byelection on a BJP ticket and won, cementing his new political allegiance.
On social media, users were quick to remind him of that past. One commenter, Dr Shikhin Soni, wrote: “Sudhir Sharma is the only cannon in India who changed sides but still couldn’t trigger a regime change. The real cartoon is the one who failed in Operation Lotus.”
Sharma replied mockingly: “Doctor saab, you should check your own patients—might need treatment yourself someday.”
Online war of words intensifies
The post has ignited a digital slugfest, with comments ranging from sarcastic to outright personal. While some users defended Sudhir Sharma, others accused him of dragging the political discourse to its lowest point.
One supporter, Balwant Singh, echoed Sharma’s sentiment, claiming, “Late Virbhadra Singh once said that the day Sukhu becomes CM, the state will go downhill. He was right.”
However, many saw the post as a reflection of deepening political animosity in the state. Political analysts say that Himachal’s politics, once known for civility, has increasingly turned personal after the Operation Lotus fiasco, which left a trail of mistrust and bitterness between the two major parties.
