Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], March 23 (ANI): Former Himachal Pradesh Minister Sudhir Sharma, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday after quitting Congress, said that he came into the BJP fold due to the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that he will forever stay in this party.
Sudhir Sharma said during his time at Congress it was very difficult for a common-party worker to meet Chief Minister Sukhwinder Sukhu.
Addressing a press conference, BJP leader Sudhir Sharma said, "The Congress party has given 10 guarantees to the people. 14 months have passed and it was difficult for a common-party worker to meet the CM, This hurt the self-respect of elected MLAs. I am here in BJP due to the policies of PM Modi, we all know how this nation is growing under his leadership. I will spend my entire life here (in BJP) only."
Notably, six disqualified MLAs of Congress switched sides and came into the BJP fold today, while three independent MLAs who voted in favour of a BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections last month also joined the BJP in the national capital after resigning from the Assembly. Hence, a total of 9 seats have fallen vacant in the Himachal Assembly.
All nine leaders were welcomed by the BJP workers in Shimla on Saturday night.
Another Congress rebel, Rajinder Rana, who joined the BJP, said that many leaders in the Congress were getting harassed and decided to leave the party.
"I thank the senior leadership of the BJP. We were getting harassed under Congress. This government is on a ventilator. Himachal Pradesh is in severe debt. We want the country to move ahead under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi," he said.
Harsh Mahajan, who also joined the BJP, said that many more leaders in the Himachal Congress will quit the party going further.
"Leaders are running away from Congress, going further many more leave," Mahajan told ANI.
The three Independents--Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur constituency), Hoshiyar Singh (Dehra) and KL Thakur (Nalagarh)--joined the BJP in the presence of Himachal Pradesh BJP President Rajiv Bindal and Union Minister Anurag Thakur.
On Saturday, six former Himachal Pradesh Congress MLAs who were disqualified as Congress legislators joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the national capital.
Four-time MLA Sudhir Sharma, three-time MLA Ravi Thakur, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, first-time MLA Devendra Bhutto, Rajendra Rana, and first-time MLA Chaitanya Sharma, joined the BJP in the presence of Himachal Pradesh BJP President Rajiv Bindal, former Himachal CM Jairam Thakur and Union Minister Anurag Thakur.
In the last assembly polls held in 2022, Congress registered victory on 40 seats, while the BJP managed to win 25. There are 68 assembly seats in the state. (ANI)
