Two-time MLA Sharma joins Cong

Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 22

Former MLA RS Sharma on Saturday joined the Congress in the presence of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief GA Mir and AICC secretary Shakeel Ahmed Khan.

Besides Sharma, prominent BJP leader Anita Gupta and Ashok Bhagat of the BSP also joined the party.

Sharma was elected MLA twice from the Nowshera Assembly segment of Rajouri district. He was last elected on an NC ticket in 2008. He along with his supporters joined the Congress and expressed full faith in the policies and leadership of the party.

Meanwhile Ashok Bhagat, who had contested 2014 Assembly election on a BSP ticket in the Marh segment, also joined the Congress. Anita Gupta, a prominent leader of BJP Mahila Morcha, quit the party and joined the Congress.

Senior party leaders Mula Ram, Raman Bhalla, Balwan Singh, Vikram Malhotra, Hari Singh Chib were prominent among those who welcomed the new entrants into the party.

Notification issued for third phase of civic polls

Srinagar: Shaleen Kabra, chief electoral officer of Jammu and Kashmir, on Saturday issued notification for the third phase of the municipal polls in the state. An official spokesperson says the notification had been issued for various wards of the municipal bodies across the state, which are slated to go to the polls in the third phase on October 13. “The notification says the last date for filing nominations is September 29, while the scrutiny of nominations will be done on October 1,” he said. The spokesperson said the last date for the withdrawal of candidature was October 3 and the counting of votes would be done on October 20. PTI