Jai Bhagwan Sharma quits BJP, extends support to Ajay Chautala
weeks after his meeting with expelled Indian National Lok Dal leader and Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala, BJP’s state executive committee member Jai Bhagwan Sharma on Friday quit the party and said he would join hands with expelled Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Ajay Chautala.
Interacting with the media at his residence in Kurukshetra, Sharma, who had unsuccessfully contested last assembly elections on BJP ticket from Pehowa seat, said that the ruling party in Haryana has failed to deliver on the promises it made to people in the run-up to the 2014 elections.
He said he had a long association with Ajay Chautala and he would join the new party which would be floated next month by the latter.
“I have made three chief ministers but did not hesitate to raise my voice against them over their lapses”, Sharma said without naming anybody.
Accused successive governments of ingoring northern districts of the state, Sharma said that not even a single government had done justice to these districts. “Even the educated youth from this region could not get jobs due to political discrimination.”
Sharma was initially in the Congress and joined the BJP ahead of the 2014 assembly polls.
Though he was keen on contesting from Thanesar assembly seat, the BJP fielded him from Pehowa, after giving party ticket to Subhash Sudha from Thanesar. “Though the BJP came to power in the state, I did not get due respect in the ruling party.”
‘AJAY, DUSHYANT HAVE VISION’
Sharma praised Ajay Chautala, who is serving ten-year sentence in the Tihar jail in the JBT teachers’ recruitment scam, saying leaders like Ajay and his MP son Dushyant have a vision.
“I am going to join the new party on my own term and conditions as Dushyant had himself reached my home and promised to give importance to northern districts in jobs and development, if his party comes to power”, he said.
“Now the youth in Haryana are looking towards Dushyant to ensure their bright future,” he said, adding that he will hold a rally at Kurukshetra on December 3 to felicitate Dushyant.
STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER OF BJP, SHARMA SAYS HE DID NOT GET DUE RESPECT WHILE SERVING RULING PARTY
INLD K’SHETRA CHIEF, 2 OTHER LEADERS QUIT
Meanwhile, INLD’s Kurukshetra district president Kuldeep Multani, state executive member Maya Ram, Indian National Students’ Organisation (INSO) senior vice-president Jasvinder Khaira resigned from their posts as well as the primary membership of the party.
Multani claimed that more than 500 workers and office-bearers of the party have also resigned also along with him.
“We have decided to leave the INLD in support of Dushyant Chautala and would join Ajay Chautala’s new party,” he added.
Besides Khaira, several INSO members also resigned from the primary membership of INLD.