Will Anil Sharma, 64, incumbent Mandi MLA and son of former communications minister Sukh Ram switch sides from the BJP --- ahead of crucial municipal corporation elections at Mandi?
Speculations are rife about Sharma, who had resigned from the Jai Ram Thakur government during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, taking an open anti-BJP stance in the April 7 Mandi civic elections.
Sharma's son Aashray Sharma, a young aspirant, had joined the Congress and unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha polls from Mandi parliamentary constituency against the BJP's Ram Swaroop Sharma.
Thus, he (Sharma) had no option but to resign from the BJP government. Thereafter, he also did not campaign for the BJP (against his own son) despite the party asking him to do so.
Advertisement
Mandi is the home district of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur who has taken full command of the elections to the upcoming four municipal corporations at Mandi, Solan, Palampur and Dharamshala.
Thakur has given the reins of the campaign in Mandi to the state's most powerful minister Mohinder Singh Thakur.
On Thursday, state party president Suresh Kashyap made it clear that if Anil Sharma doesn't back the party and comes out to campaign in its favour, he might face action.
The public stance taken by Anil Sharma not to campaign for the party is seen as a thorn in Jai Ram Thakur’s palm. The BJP has been left with no option but to put pressure on Anil Sharma either to quit or face expulsion.
Advertisement
The BJP said during the past week, Anil Sharma had indeed actively lobbied for the Congress tickets for his favourites. The Congress too is eyeing a gain in roping in Anil Sharma as he happens to be the sitting MLA from Mandi.
“We have information that both Sharma and son lobbied for tickets for their supporters from the Congress quota. What else is left to prove that Sharma Sr is working against the BJP and will damage the party prospects? It’s an open challenge to the chief minister,” a district BJP leader said over phone from Mandi.
Sharma, son of former Union communications minister, had remained a Rajya Sabha member when his father had joined hands with the BJP in 1998 to help the party form a coalition government.
Before this, he was first elected to the state Assembly on a Congress ticket in 1993 and was inducted as minister in the Virbhadra Singh government.
Later in 2007 and 2012 he was elected to the Assembly on Congress tickets. Sharma completed his second ministerial stint in 2017 under Virbhadra Singh with his resignation from the Congress. He joined the BJP ahead of the Assembly polls.
On his election, he was again inducted into the BJP government in December 2017.
Recently, Sharma had gone public to accuse the BJP government and also the chief minister for discriminating against Mandi (his constituency) and also creating impediments for him.
Advertisement
“I will expose all their actions and deeds at a suitable time. How long will they (BJP leadership) keep testing my patience?” he was quoted as saying.
