Power minister in the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh Anil Sharma has said that he would not campaign against his son Aashray Sharma, who has been declared the Congress candidate in Mandi.
A day after allocation of the Congress ticket to Aashray Sharma from Mandi parliamentary seat, Anil Sharma told PTI that he would not campaign against his son.
Sukh Ram's son Anil Sharma is the BJP MLA from Mandi Assembly segment which, along with 16 other Assembly segments, falls under Mandi parliamentary segment.
As an elected BJP legislator from an Assembly segment falling under the Mandi parliamentary seat, he was expected to campaign in favour of BJP candidate and sitting MP Ramswaroop Sharma and against Congress candidate Aashray Sharma.
“I have already conveyed it to the BJP leadership after my father Sukh Ram and my son rejoined Congress on 25 March, that if Aashray is given a Congress ticket, I would not campaign against him.”Anil Sharma
Asked about the issue, Himachal Prades BJP President Satpal Singh Satti said, "Why is media following this issue? This is matter of his (Anil Sharma's) family. (Aap log kyo is mamle ke peeche pade hue ho. Ye unke parivaar ka mamla hai.)”
Pressed further, he said, "We will see what to do (on this issue)."
The Himachal power minister said, "I am ready to campaign in favour of BJP candidates contesting on other seats except Mandi."
Anil Sharma was state minister during the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress governments in 1993 and 2012. But he, along with his father Sukh Ram joined the BJP, in October 2017, just before the last Assembly elections.
Anil Sharma’s son Aashray was seeking a BJP ticket from Mandi but the BJP preferred to renominate sitting MP Ramswaroop Sharma.
Subsequently, Aashray along with his grandfather, rejoined Congress on 25 March and the Congress fielded him from Mandi on Friday, 29 March.
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