Ex-minister Shyama Sharma dies of Covid

Tribune News Service

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Solan, September 21

Former minister and BJP leader Shyama Sharma died at 72 today.

She was admitted to Nahan-based Dr YS Parmar Government Medical College last night with breathing problems where she tested positive. She was taken to a private hospital in Panchkula this morning, but was declared brought dead. She was cremated at Nahan.

Political career

• Shyama Sharma won her first Vidhan Sabha election in 1977 from Nahan on the Janata Party ticket
•  She was the Minister for Panchayati Raj and Law in the Shanta Kumar government in 1977
• She was re-elected in 1980 and 1990 again on the Janata Party ticket
• She joined the BJP in 1995
• She remained the chairperson of the state Finance Commission and Vice-Chairperson of the Himachal Planning Board

Brought up at Nahan, Shyama was active in politics from a young age. She was a law graduate from Allahabad. As a student, she had actively participated in students’ movement in Uttar Pradesh and founded the Youth Liberation Morcha in 1973. In 1975, she participated in the JP movement and later in the Khodari movement for the rights of factory workers .

She was sent to the Central Jail, Nahan, in 1975 along with former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar during the Emergency.

She won her first Vidhan Sabha election in 1977 from Nahan as a Janata Party candidate. She was the Minister for Panchayati Raj and Law in the Shanta Kumar government in 1977. She was re-elected in 1980 and 1990 as a Janata Party candidate and joined the BJP in 1995. She was also made the chairperson of the state Finance Commission and Vice-Chairperson of the Himachal Planning Board.

She, however, left the BJP in 2012 and founded the Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) along with Maheshwar Singh of Kullu. In 2016, the HLP merged with the BJP.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also enquired about her on the telephone while talking to a veteran BJP leader from Paonta Sahib a few months ago.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, BJP president Suresh Kashyap, Power Minister Sukh Ram Chowdhary, MLAs Reena Kashyap, Dr Rajiv Bindal and other BJP leaders Baldev Tomar and Baldev Bhandari condoled her death.