DEHRADUN: The Congress party, which is currently grappling with a tumultuous period marked by a steady departure of its leaders in Uttarakhand, faced another blow on Sunday as senior Congress leader Mahesh Sharma from Kaladhungi bid adieu to the party.
Sharma tendered his resignation on Sunday and made the switch to the BJP.
Sharma, who has been associated with the Congress for over two decades and contested elections twice from Kaladhungi constituency, and is said to be close to Harish Rawat.
Mahesh Sharma contested the 2022 Uttarakhand Assembly election from Kaladhungi constituency on a Congress ticket unsuccessfully.
Additionally, his wife, Kamlesh Sharma, has previously served as the district panchayat president.
For the upcoming elections, Sharma had sought a ticket from the Congress, strongly claiming candidature for the Nainital parliamentary seat.
Despite his efforts, the party opted to nominate Prakash Joshi instead of Sharma. Disappointed with this decision, Mahesh Sharma bid a final farewell to the Congress.
Efforts made by Congress veterans like Harish Rawat, Yashpal Arya and Sumit Hridayesh to persuade Sharma proved futile, as he eventually moved to the BJP.
Mahesh Sharma was formally inducted into the BJP by State President Mahendra Bhatt.
It has been revealed that another influential BJP figure, Mahendra Adhikari of Haldwani, played a pivotal role in facilitating Sharma's transition to the party.
"The increasing attraction of leaders from other political factions towards the BJP is a testament to our party's commitment to transparent governance," remarked Bhatt.
State Congress chief Karan Mahara shared his perspective with The New Indian Express on the recent wave of party defections, "The Congress party is a vast ocean with a history spanning over a century. Those who have chosen to leave the party for opportunistic reasons will inevitably face consequences in due time."
Over the course of the last month, there has been a notable exodus from the Congress party, with a sitting MLA, Rajendra Bhandari, and two former MLAs among the 16 leaders who have decided to part ways with the party.