Nehru-Gandhi family integral, but internal changes must for Congress revival: Anand Sharma

New Delhi, Aug 24: Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, who quit from chairmanship of the party's steering committee, said on Wednesday it is important that the "Nehru-Gandhi family remains integral" as the grand old party requires inclusive and collective thinking.

The Congress leader stressed that the party cannot be revived by having an 'A' group or 'B' group, instead, they should work collectively.

"If we bring about some internal changes, renewal and revival of Congress will be done. Congress cannot revive by having A group or B group, Congress collectively has to revive," said Anand Sharma on his resignation from the chairman of Steering Committee for Himachal polls.

Sharma said that the Nehru-Gandhi family is important and remains integral to the collective leadership of the party but "Congress does require inclusive and collective thinking and approach."

"We elected Rahul Gandhi as Congress president in 2018, but it was he who resigned, we did not ask him to resign. It is important that the Nehru-Gandhi family remains integral. Congress does require inclusive and collective thinking and approach," Anand Sharma stressed.

"I will campaign for the Congress party wherever it is required. Congress needs to come out of factionalism and stay united. We are all Congressmen. What is important is that the Congress party stays strong," he further added.

Sharma on Sunday resigned from the chairmanship of the party's steering committee for the state, saying he was left with no choice after the "continuing exclusion and insults".

Sharma, in a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, is learnt to have said he was not consulted on the planning for the assembly elections and cited several examples where he was not invited for discussions.

The resignation is seen as a setback to the Congress' efforts to placate dissenters after another leader of the G23 grouping Ghulam Nabi Azad quit as chairman of the campaign committee in Jammu and Kashmir a few days ago.