CHANDIGARH: Himachal Pradesh Power Minister Anil Sharma today resigned from his cabinet berth in the BJP Government in the hill state as his son Ashray Sharma is contesting as a Congress candidate from Mandi Lok Sabha seat.
After sending his resignation to Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Sharma said, "There is no faith in me, that is why I have resigned. I wanted to put an end to the escalating tensions and save the CM from further embarrassment. I will not campaign for both BJP and Congress in these elections. But I will remain in Mandi and will work neutrally. My blessing are there with my son Ashray. I, along with my father, former union telecommunications minister Sukh Ram, joined the saffron party right before the assembly elections in the state. Even then I never asked for any cabinet berth or portfolio.
Sharma said, "When we joined the BJP, we never asked for a ticket for my son. When my son wanted to join politics, I told him that we are now in BJP so you should work here. My father Sukh Ram had worked for the Congress all his life and he wanted to go back to his parent party. It was his decision to go back and he took his grandson with him."
"I am BJP MLA and will be a dedicated worker of the party till I am shown the door,’’ he said.
Just before the 2017 assembly elections, Anil Sharma along with his father Sukh Ram had joined the BJP and he was made a cabinet minister in the state government by the saffron party. Earlier, Anil had remained a cabinet minister in the Virbhdra Singh led Congress Government.
On March 25, 2019, Sukh Ram along with his grandson re-joined the Congress. Anil had been adopting a wait and watch policy since his son had joined the Congress, he had earlier even threatened that he will quit from the cabinet if Aashray joined the Congress.
In the political circles of the state, it is felt that by giving a ticket to Aashray, Congress has played a masterstroke.