Former Congress minister joins BJP in J-K

Jammu, Mar 30 In a shock to the Congress ahead of the April-May Lok Sabha election, its senior chief and former minister Sham Lal Sharma joined the BJP on Saturday, alongside a group of his supporters.

Sharma, who left the post of senior VP of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) in May a year ago over certain distinctions, joined the BJP within the sight of its national VP Avinash Rai Khanna and state unit chief Ravinder Raina.

"With the joining of Sharma, along with state leader Subash Langer, six municipal
corporators from Jourian and Akhnoor, youth leader Naresh Sharma and many activists, we have now for all intents and purposes guaranteed Congress-mukt (free) Jammu," Raina told reporters here.

Raina also welcomed former additional principal chief conservator forests M J Sharma into the party fold.

"I will work with dedication and honestly for the BJP," Sharma, who had won twice from the Akhnoor Assembly voting public and was a minister National Conference-Congress coalition government till 2014, said.

"I became the chowkidar when I first won the by-election from Akhnoor in 2004 and held the seat in 2008. I have dependably played out my duties with dedication and always raised my voice against separation with Jammu even in the government," Sharma, who was crushed by BJP competitor in the 2014 elections, said.

However, Sharma stated, he never got help from his party as "it has turned into our propensity to fill in as a reinforced work for one section or a particular region. I never compromised with my ideology which is akin to the BJP..."

He also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said his government brought straightforwardness and accountability the nation and requested the people of Jammu district to stand united and ensure the win of the BJP candidates. He said the vision of the BJP is equitable development of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions.



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