AMN / WEB DESK
The Congress on Sunday replaced Sunil Sharma its candidate for the Jaipur Lok Sabha seat after his nomination sparked an outrage.
The outrage over Sharma’s candidacy rose over his alleged association with an organisation, the Jaipur Dialogue, a right-wing digital platform that has previously made critical remarks against Congress and its leaders.
After the Congress replaced him with Pratap Singh Khachariyawas for Jaipur seat, Sunil Sharma said, “I am hurt that the party did not defend me. Those who conspired against me have won”.
Sharma stated that he gave up the ticket on his own and mentioned that he is “not leaving the Congress”.
The Congress’s decision to replace Sharma came a day after Tharoor criticised him, stating that he must have undergone “some sort of Pauline epiphany”.
In its list of candidates announced last Thursday, the Congress had named Sharma from Jaipur, where he is known for his and his family’s long association with Congress as well as for being the Chairman and Chancellor of the private Suresh Gyan Vihar University (SGVU) in Jaipur. However, overshadowing this on Saturday was his association with The Jaipur Dialogues, which identifies itself as a “platform for the right thinking people”, and was launched in 2016 by the now retired IAS officer Sanjay Dixit.