Ex-state BJP chief Kamal Sharma cremated
FEROZEPUR: Former Punjab BJP chief Kamal Sharma was cremated on Monday in Ferozepur in the presence of several senior political leaders. The 49-year-old leader died of a heart attack on Sunday morning.
Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Som Prakash, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Punjab BJP chief Shwait Malik and Akali leader Daljit Singh Cheema were present at the funeral wherein Sharma’s son Sushmit lit the pyre. Sharma had gone for a walk on the Mall road in the cantonment area when he collapsed and was rushed to a local hospital where he was declared brought dead.
Previously, Sharma had suffered a heart attack, two-and-ahalf years ago. He is survived by his wife Shashi, son and daughter.
Considered close to late BJP leader and former finance minister Arun Jaitley, Sharma remained BJP state unit president in Punjab from January 2013 to April 2016. He had joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya
Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at a young age and worked his way to national secretary in the student organisation.
In 2007, Jaitley, who was in-charge of party affairs in Punjab, made him general secretary of the state unit. In 2012, Sharma also worked as political adviser to then chief minister Parkash
Singh Badal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP’S national working president Jagat Prakash Nadda and Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh expressed anguish over his sudden demise. “Sharma made noteworthy efforts to strengthen the party in Punjab. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this hour of grief,” Modi tweeted. Former Union minister Vijay Sampla, Tarun Chugh, Avinash Rai Khanna, Manoranjan Kalia, Anil Joshi and Tikshan Sud were among the BJP leaders present during the cremation.