Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma stepped down on Sunday (August 10) as the chairman of the party’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), a post he had held for nearly a decade. Sharma said the move was aimed at facilitating the department’s restructuring and creating space for younger leaders to step in.
In a letter addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the former Union minister wrote, “As I have conveyed earlier to the Congress president and the party leadership, I believe the committee should be restructured to induct younger leaders with potential and capability. This will ensure continuity in its functioning.”
Sharma expressed his gratitude to the party leadership for entrusting him with the role, stating that his resignation was to make way for the department’s revamp.
Strengthening International Ties
Highlighting the DFA’s contributions, Sharma noted that over the past few decades, the department has played a key role in bolstering Congress’s relationships with major political parties across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America. The DFA also established institutional mechanisms for leadership delegations and exchanges with fraternal political parties and international organizations.
Congress’s Global Face
A member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), Sharma has been one of the party’s most prominent voices on international affairs for nearly four decades. He remains an active member of the party and was recently part of an all-party parliamentary delegation sent abroad to present India’s stance following Operation Sindoor.
Over his long career, Sharma has played pivotal roles in international diplomacy, including negotiations for the India–US nuclear deal, securing a special waiver for India at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), institutionalizing the India–Africa partnership, and organizing the first India–Africa Summit. As commerce minister, he oversaw India’s first WTO agreement and the signing of a comprehensive trade pact.