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Sukh Ram’s grandson Aashray finally quits Cong, set to join BJP
The 36-year-old was Congress’ state general secretary, chairman of the social media cell and in charge of the Hamirpur district
State Congress general secretary and veteran leader Sukh Ram’s grandson Aashray Sharma bid goodbye to the party, a move long anticipated.
He would likely join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on October 11, in presence of the party’s national president Jagat Prakash Nadda.
Sharma, 36, who contested the 2019 parliamentary polls on a Congress ticket from the Mandi constituency, was also the chairman of the party’s social media cell and in charge of the Hamirpur district.
Sharma said he has sent his resignation to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi. He is the third leader to quit Congress within ten days. Former minister Harsh Mahajan quit the party on September 28 followed by former MP Suresh Chandel on October 5.
His father Anil Sharma is a BJP legislator from the Mandi assembly constituency and also served as a minister in the Jai Ram Thakur cabinet from 2017 to 2019 before stepping down. Earlier, rumours were rife that Anil Sharma may rejoin Congress but he decided to stay in BJP after a patch-up with the chief minister.
Meanwhile, announcing his decision to quit Congress in a press conference at Mandi, the 36-year-old said his father stepped down as a minister on moral grounds and now it was his turn to support his father.
Taking a dig at the Congress, Sharma said he contested the 2019 elections when all the big leaders including Pratibha Singh and Kaul Singh Thakur refused.
“However, the Congress seems to have become a private firm,” he said adding that handing over the reins of the party to one family was a bad decision of the high command.
Taking potshots at former minister Kaul Singh, Sharma said he was a respected senior leader and should not get involved with a young man like him. Singh had been targeting Sharma ever since the latter had applied for a Congress ticket from Drang, the assembly segment represented by the former in the past.
Sharma also hit out a former chief minister Virbhadra Singh’s family, while heaping praises on chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, who said stood by his family when his grandfather was critically ill.
Sharma’s party hopping
Former Union Telecom minister Sukh Ram, his son Anil Sharma and grandson Aashray Sharma had joined the BJP before the 2017 assembly elections after differences with the then chief minister Virbhadra Singh.
Anil Sharma won assembly elections from Mandi and was appointed Power and multi-purpose projects minister in the BJP government.
However, in 2019 Sukh Ram sought a ticket for Aashray Sharma from Mandi parliamentary seat and when BJP refused, they rejoined Congress.
The Congress made Sharma their candidate which led to Anil Sharma’s exit from the state cabinet though he didn’t quit the BJP.
Kaul Singh challenge
Meanwhile, former minister Kaul Singh Thakur has challenged Aashray Sharma to contest against him from the Drang Assembly segment o ma BJP ticket.
“I welcome him to contest election from Drang on BJP ticket,” said Kaul Singh talking to media.
He said there would be no consequences for Sharma quitting the party and Congress will win the next election and form a government with a thumping majority.
