2012 poll performance, key leaders’ backing worked in Sharma’s favour
BJP’S VOTE SHARE IN PAST 5 POLLS
CHANDIGARH: By choosing former Pathankot MLA Ashwani Sharma to lead party ahead of assembly polls scheduled in Punjab in 2022, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) high command has tried to pick the “best” among the lot.
Even as Sharma’s first tenure as the state party chief between 2009 and 2012 was termed “dissatisfactory” by many in the state unit, the BJP high command preferred him over others as under his leadership in 2012, the party won 12 out of the 23 seats it contested in the state.
Many senior leaders in Punjab unit term Sharma’s elevation to the top post as “sheer luck” as according to them, he is neither a good orator nor an impressive manager.
A graduate in arts, Sharma started his career as a grassroots worker at the booth-level.
Sharma’s name was finalised by the party high command after a detailed discussion over a panel of possible names, which also included names of national secretary Tarun Chugh, Rssbacked candidate Narinder Parmar
and former minister Manoranjan Kalia.
In 2009, Kalia, who was the cabinet minister then, played a decisive role in Sharma’s appointment as the state BJP chief. But this time, Kalia himself was the contender for the post with the support of former Union minister Vijay Sampla and party’s national vice-president Avinash Rai Khanna. Around 2pm on Tuesday, Chugh opted out of the race by declaring on his Facebook page that he was happy serving the party at the national-level. 2019 Lok Sabha polls: 9.63 %. Party won two seats
2017 assembly polls: 5%. Party could win only 3 seats
2012 assembly polls: 7.13%. It managed to secure 8 seats
A senior party functionary said Sharma’s name was recommended by state affairs in-charge Parbhat Jha and state organisation secretary Dinesh Sharma. They managed to convince the high command that only he (Sharma) has the capability of leading the party in the 2022 assembly polls, he said.
Party functionaries say Jha didn’t leave any stone unturned to tilt the scale in Sharma’s favour and also convince Union minister of state Som Parkash, former minister Tikshan Sud and state secretary Subhash Sharma (all from the group earlier led by Kamal Sharma who passed away recently) to support the ex-pathankot legislator.
BJP’S organisational in-charge for northeast states Ajay Jamwal, who remained the 2014 Lok Sabha polls: 8.7%. Party won only one seat
2007 assembly polls: 8.28%. It secured win on 19 seats
2009 Lok Sabha polls: 10.06 %. It could win only one seat
state organisation secretary for Punjab when Sharma was state party chief, also said to have played a key role in his elevation. Jamwal is known as Sharma’s political mentor.
Sharma represented Pathankot segment between 2012 and 2017 and lost the 2017 assembly polls to Amit Vij of the Congress by a margin of over 11,000 votes.
Sharma’s appointment is also seen as a setback for incumbent state party chief and Rajya Sabha member Shwait Malik who was eying second term.
Challenges are aplenty for Sharma as the party in Punjab is in complete disarray. In 2017 assembly polls, the party could win only seats. It lost Phagwara in the 2019 bypoll, necessitated by the election of sitting MLA Som Parkash as MP.