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Ashwani Sharma’s absence from BJP events irks party leaders
At a time when the newly appointed Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jhakar is touring all the 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab, ex-state head Ashwani Sharma is conspicuous by his absence
At a time when the newly appointed Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jhakar is touring all the 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab, ex-state head Ashwani Sharma is conspicuous by his absence.
It has been almost two weeks since Sharma, a second-time legislator from Pathankot, was unceremoniously removed as the state chief. Since then, Sharma missed Jakhar’s installation ceremony on July 11. Recently, Sharma also didn’t attend the meeting of party workers in Gurdaspur chaired by Jakhar, leading to conjectures and rumours that all is not well within the saffron party. Senior BJP leaders claimed that this was for the first time that the outgoing president didn’t attend the installation ceremony of the new BJP state president.
As per party insiders, Sharma is upset with his removal barely six months after the party decided to continue with him. Sharma remained president of state BJP unit from 2010 to 2013 and was re-elected in 2020. His second term lasted till November 2022. In December, he was again asked by the party high command to continue as state chief and make fresh team.
After assuming charge, Jakhar is touring all the 13 Lok Sabha segments of Punjab to meet workers and on Wednesday was in Gurdaspur, which also happens to be the home Lok Sabha segment of Sharma. His absence from the meeting has given strength to rumours and claims that miffed Sharma is biding his time and weighing options.
Various leaders of Sharma’s camp hinted that he was upset with an abrupt removal. A party insider close to Sharma claimed that the ex-BJP state head was also getting ‘feelers’ from the ruling AAP in Punjab. However, there was no independent confirmation in this regard.
However, Sharma downplayed all the rumours and said he is on leave from the party.
“I have taken 15 days leave from the party. There is nothing like Naaraaz Hona (getting upset) in BJP,” Sharma asserted.
BJP it seems had anticipated this, and in an effort to placate the miffed leader, the party’s national chief JP Nadda had appointed him as a national executive member of the party within two days of his removal.
On Friday, Sharma went to the Vidhan Sabha secretariat and donated one month’s salary to the Chief Minister’s relief fund as a contribution to the flood-affected areas.
In a social media post later, Sharma claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is standing by Punjab during these tough times.
Sharma’s absence has not gone down well with a section of the party with many senior leaders, on the condition of anonymity, sharing views that he should have shown large heart. The party made him state BJP twice before curtailing his third term, a senior leader said.
