Munish Sood
MANDI: The Congress has appointed senior party leader Anurag Sharma as the president of the District Congress Committee (DCC) in Kangra, entrusting him with the crucial responsibility of strengthening the party organisation in one of Himachal Pradesh’s most politically significant districts.
The appointment is being seen as a strategic move by the party leadership, given Sharma’s long-standing association with the Congress and his extensive organisational experience spanning nearly three decades. Party circles believe his elevation will help energise the cadre at the grassroots level and improve coordination across blocks, mandals, and frontal organisations in the district.
Born on August 29, 1978, Anurag Sharma hails from Bir in Baijnath tehsil of Kangra district. He completed his graduation in Mathematics from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, in 1999, after completing his schooling under the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education. His political journey began early, shaped by student politics and organisational work within the Congress ecosystem.
Sharma has been an active member of the Congress in Baijnath since 1995. During his college years, he emerged as a student leader and served as campus president of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) at GGDSD College, Baijnath, in 1998 and 1999. His leadership abilities soon earned him larger responsibilities and he went on to serve as the NSUI state general secretary from 1998 to 2001.
In the following years, Sharma played an active role in youth and organisational politics. He served as District Youth Congress general secretary from 2002 to 2006 and later as general secretary of the Block Congress Committee, Baijnath, from 2007 to 2012.
His consistent organisational work led to his appointment as state secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, a position he held from 2015 to 2019. During this period, he was also assigned as party observer for the Joginder Nagar Assembly constituency, where he was involved in strengthening booth-level coordination and organisational outreach.
Apart from active party politics, Anurag Sharma has also contributed significantly in government and institutional roles. He served as a Director of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Board from 2013 to 2017 and was a member of the youth and sports services under the Himachal Pradesh government during the same period.
These roles helped him gain administrative experience and a broader understanding of policy implementation, particularly in sectors linked to youth engagement and tourism.
Sharma is also widely known for his association with adventure tourism, especially paragliding, which has become a global identity for the Bir Billing region. He has been closely associated with the Billing Paragliding Association (BPA) for over a decade, serving as its Director from 2010 to 2020 and later as its President from 2020 to 2025. Under his leadership, the association focused on improving safety standards, professional training, and international visibility of Bir Billing as a premier paragliding destination.
During his tenure, Bir Billing successfully hosted major international events, including the Paragliding Pre-World Cup in 2013, the Paragliding World Cup in 2015 and again the Paragliding World Cup in 2024. His efforts, in coordination with the state government and tourism authorities, played a key role in promoting adventure tourism and generating local employment. He has also been actively involved in initiatives such as the launch of digital platforms for paragliding information and advocating for the establishment of a dedicated paragliding institute in the region.
With his appointment as DCC president, Anurag Sharma is expected to focus on organisational consolidation, strengthening communication between the party leadership and workers, and preparing the district unit for upcoming political challenges. Party leaders have expressed confidence that his experience in both organisational politics and public-facing roles will help the Congress regain momentum in Kangra district.
The new DCC president is likely to assume charge formally in the coming days, following which a series of organisational meetings and outreach programmes are expected across the district.
