Anil decides: Will campaign for BJP, but not against son Ashray

Bhanu P Lohumi
Tribune News Service
Shimla, April 3

Himachal Power Minister Anil Sharma, who is in “catch 22” situation following decision of his son Ashray to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Mandi parliamentary seat as a Congress candidate, today made it clear that he would campaign for the BJP but not against his son.

Sharma, under attack from the BJP, said, “For me family comes first and I will not campaign against my son and I have already conveyed the same to Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur,” he told The Tribune. “As a party member I will campaign for the BJP outside Mandi parliamentary constituency but to expect that I would share public platform against my son is not possible. In that case the party is free to take any stand”, Anil Sharma said.

However, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has already said that being a minister in the government, Anil must campaign for BJP candidates. But so far, neither Sharma has offered to resign nor the Chief Minister has asked for his resignation.

Former Union communication minister Sukh Ram, who is grandfather of Ashray Sharma, has joined the Congress but Anil Sharma continues to be in BJP and holding post of a Cabinet minister.

The reported statement of Ashray Sharma that “his father was only for him and cannot be of the BJP” has come handy for the BJP and general secretary of the party Chander Mohan Thakur has asked Anil Sharma to clear the air and tell that whether he would side with his son or with BJP, because of which he was an MLA and a minister. Striking a note of caution, Thakur said, “Anil Sharma would have to campaign for BJP in Mandi and other areas, if he wants to stay in the party”.

“Sharma might be in a dilemma over his son but the BJP is not in quandary on this issue as the BJP is a strong party, capable of sweeping the polls and completely routing Congress in Mandi”, Thakur said adding, “If any person has this false perception that the BJP won in Mandi district in the last Assembly elections because of him, he should clearly understand that the BJP had won seven out of 10 Assembly seats in Mandi district in the 2007 Assembly polls also.

“The BJP defeated Pratibha Singh, wife of the then Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh from Mandi Lok Sabha seat in 2014 inspite the fact the Congress was in power in the state”, he pointed out.

Having a dig at Sukh Ram, Thakur said that “He is symbol of Aya Ram, Gaya Ram” in Himachal and former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is correct in saying that he only thinks about his family”. However, this chapter of unhealthy practice would end for all times to come in these elections, he added.