Ex- BJP MLA Joins Congress Along With Supporters in MP

Bhopal: Former BJP MLA from Narmadapuram in Madhya Pradesh Girija Shankar Sharma on Sunday joined Congress along with his supporters.

Mr Sharma who represented Narmadapuram assembly constituency twice in 2003 and 2008 assembly elections quit BJP nine days ago alleging his marginalisation in the party.

He was admitted to Congress by state party president and former chief minister Kamal Nath.

His brother Sita Saran Sharma had replaced him as a BJP candidate in Narmadapuram in 2008 assembly polls and won the seat.

Sita Saran Sharma, former speaker of Madhya Pradesh assembly, is currently representing Narmadapuram assembly constituency.

Girija Shankar Sharma had quit BJP after he was denied ticket from Narmadapuram assembly seat in 2018 assembly polls by the party.

He however returned to the party a few months later.

Sources said that his decision to join Congress was a ploy by the Sharma family to put pressure on the BJP leadership to retain Sitasaran Sharam in the seat in the year-end assembly polls.

Sources said that BJP may not retain him in the seat in the forthcoming assembly polls.

The BJP brass in Madhya Pradesh was reportedly upset with Sita Saran Sharma when he allegedly decided to field a rebel candidate against the official BJP candidate for the post of chairman in the local municipality body a few months ago.

However, Mr Sharma’s candidate had lost the polls, indicating that the influence of the Sharma family has waned in Narmadapuram, held by the family for the last 22 years, sources said.

“The development will have no impact on the party’s prospect in the constituency in the year-end assembly polls”, a senior BJP functionary said here.

At last half-a-dozen BJP leaders including a sitting MLA from Kolaras Virendra Raghuvamsi have joined Congress over a couple of months.