The Congress on Sunday suspended Bhanwar Lal Sharma, MLA from Sardarshahr, for blaming Rahul Gandhi for the party’s rout in the Lok Sabha election. The Congress lost all 25 seats in Rajasthan.
Mr. Sharma had criticised the leadership, particularly party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, for the losses and described him as “MD of Congress circus” and his advisers as “jokers.”
He is the second leader to be suspended for open criticism of leadership. Last week, T.H. Mustafa, a Kerala MLA, had been suspended for questioning Rahul Gandhi’s leadership.
Mr. Sharma, in his interviews to a Hindi daily and a news agency, had said there was no democracy in the party and only one family controlled the functioning with senior leaders being totally ignored.
The party had sought a clarification from Mr. Sharma on Saturday and the party spokesperson told reporters here on Sunday that the PCC chief had ordered the suspension on the directions of State in-charge Gurudas Kamat.
Mr. Sharma claimed he was unaware of his suspension order. However, he said he did not care and there were many others in the party who agreed with him on the issue.
