In a significant blow to the BJP ahead of the highly anticipated Haryana Assembly Elections 2024, the party's state vice president GL Sharma, along with 250 office bearers and several supporters, joined Congress on Sunday, September 8.
Sharma, who was the chairman of the Dairy Development Corporation in the Haryana government, had resigned from the BJP on September 6 over ticket denial. And ever since, speculation about his potential move to Congress was being made. The leader, however on Sunday confirmed it, as he along with the 250 office bearers and several BJP workers, officially switched allegiance to Congress.
Bhupinder Hooda welcomes the defectors
Former Haryana Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Hooda welcomed Sharma and the others to the Congress fold, asserting that the BJP is likely to face a major defeat in the upcoming polls. Hooda stated, "Today in Delhi, BJP State Vice President GL Sharma, along with hundreds of officials and many of his supporters, have shown faith in the Congress party's policies and joined us. Everyone is welcome in the Congress family."
Meanwhile, GL Sharma too expressed his satisfaction with his decision to join Congress, calling it a "homecoming" under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Udai Bhan, and Deepender Singh Hooda. He added, "I will fulfill any responsibility given to me by the party leadership."
Ticket denial drives exodus
It is pertinent to note that Sharma’s departure highlights a broader trend of significant figures leaving the BJP Haryana unit due to ticket denial. Notable exits include Bachan Singh Arya, who resigned after the BJP nominated Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) rebel Ram Kumar Gautam for the Safidon Assembly constituency. Arya, who lost the 2019 election by just 3,000 votes, announced his resignation from the primary membership of the BJP and the state executive in a brief letter to the party chief.
Additionally, former Power and Energy Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala, MoS (Independent Charge) for Social Justice Bishamber Singh Valmiki, and MLA Lakshman Napa have also resigned. OBC leader Karan Dev Kamboj also quit all party posts for the same reason.
