Government victimised me for raising issues of Dharamsala: Congress rebel MLA Sudhir Sharma
Lalit Mohan
Dharamsala, March 28
Congress rebel MLA Sudhir Sharma, who had got BJP ticket for the Dharamsala byelection, arrived here today. He was welcomed by BJP workers from the area. Barring Kangra MP Kishan Kapoor, the party has managed to rein in all dissidents in Dharamsala against Sudhir Sharma. Kapoor skipped the rally organised by the BJP at the Zorawar stadium to welcome Sudhir. Besides, BJP leader Rakesh Chaudhary, who had resigned from the party yesterday, also did not participate in the rally.
Sudhir was projected by BJP leaders, including state president Rajeev Jindal as the one who fought for Dharamsala and Kangra. Sudhir also adopted the same narrative while addressing the rally. “I was victimised for raising the voice of Dharamsala. During the Chief Minister’s rally at Dharamsala, I raised the issue of Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) north campus and the IT park, which was to come up in the constituency. Sukhu, however, publicly shrugged off my hand,” he added.
Sudhir also tried to strike an emotional chord with the people of the region with moist eyes saying that the Chief Minister said that he had accepted money for changing sides. “I have fought for my constituency. I openly voted for Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha elections as he was a leader of the state and not an outsider imposed on us. I have joined the BJP unconditionally and am thankful to the party for nominating me to fight the Dharamsala byelection.”
Bindal said that more Congress MLAs were trying to join the BJP. The BJP would win all four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal as well as all nine byelections. The Congress government would fall under its own weight and due to its policies, he claimed.
Sudhir, who arrived at Dharamsala for the first time since he rebelled against the Congress government, was welcomed by his supporters at the Chamunda Devi temple. From there his supporters organised a motorcycle rally that culminated at the Zorawar Singh stadium where the BJP had planned a rally to welcome him.
After the rally, Sudhir launched his poll campaign by paying obeisance at various temples in Dharamsala.
