Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Dec 20: BJP senior leader and Party MLA from Jammu West Assembly segment Sat Sharma was today appointed the new BJP State president after he emerged unanimous choice for the top party post in the State replacing Jugal Kishore Sharma who served the Party for a three year term.
The name of Sat Sharma was proposed by Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh and it was seconded by the outgoing president and MP from Jammu- Poonch Parliamentary Constituency Jugal Kishore Sharma in presence of hundreds of party activists and leaders drawn from different parts of the State at BJP headquarters, Kacchi Chawni here.
Later, the Party national vice president Sham Jaju declared Sat Sharma as elected unopposed to the post after he emerged as a unanimous choice.
Union Minister in PMO with Independent Charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh, senior BJP leader and former Union Minister, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, Minister of Transport, Abdul Gani Kohli, MoS Education and Culture Priya Sethi, MoS R&B and Revenue, Sunil Sharma, MP (RS), Shamsher Singh Manhas, senior Party leader and MLC Ashok Khajuria and legislators including Sham Choudhary, Shakti Parihar, Dr Gagan Bhagat, Jeewan Lal, Ajay Nanda, Rajesh Gupta, Deena Nath Bhagat, Vibodh Gupta, Surinder Ambardar, Ramesh Arora, Neelam Langeh, Dr Krishan Lal, and others were among prominent party men who attended the function.
The change in leadership comes at a time when the State is gearing up for urban local and other civic bodies elections, dates for which are yet to be announced.
Sharma had earlier contested and won the Jammu West Assembly seat with a margin of over 50,000 votes.
He has also played a major role in party’s victory in the recently concluded elections to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC).
A Chartered Accountant by profession, Sharma was earlier the vice president of the party in the State. Soon after his election Sharma said he would work to further strengthen the Party at the grassroots level.
“I will follow the footsteps of my predecessors and would work towards strengthening the party at the grassroots level,” Sharma said while addressing the Partymen.
The party is posed to face a litmus test in the upcoming elections to the civic bodies in the state.
“My priorities would include making the party victorious in the upcoming elections to the civic bodies in the State,” Sharma said.
In his address Union Minister in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh said that BJP which is in power at Centre and in the State has a great opportunity to ensure welfare of the people by taking the benefit of the various schemes like Jan Dan Yojna, Atal Pension Yojna etc. This way it can not only ensure the empowerment of its workers but also ensure the welfare of the people in the State.
He said most of the Central Government schemes are being carried by Central agencies and departments and they can be accomplished by the Party leadership with minimum support of the State Government and there is no need to cry that Ministers are powerless.
He said if organization devotes its time in implementation of these schemes it will widen the party base and also help the deserving people, Dr Singh added.
He said the BJP is the only party in the country which follows the precedence of holding regular elections and it is the only party where every worker gets opportunity to get a party position and post as per his capacity and capability without any dynastic base.
Terming the tenure of outgoing president Jugal Kishroe Sharma as eventful Dr Jitendra Singh said during his tenure the party emerged victorious in Lok Sabha, Assembly and LAHDC elections in Leh.
Later, talking to media persons Dr Singh said that Modi Government is not interfering in the working of CBI which is working independent of Government control.
While referring to allegations leveled by Congress Party in this regard he said, “if Congress alleges BJP is interfering in the functioning of CBI it is for its own experience as party ruled the country for about 50 years. But since May 26 last year when Narendra Modi took oath of office as Prime Minister CBI became fully independent and there is no interference of Government in its working”, he added.
Speaking on the occasion Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Dr Nirmal Singh expressed hope that party would achieve more heights under the leadership of new president.
Dr Singh said the Party and Government are two wheels of a chariot and the president has to maintain coordination between Government and the Party and if he succeeds in maintaining that he can take party to heights.
He asked the Partymen to be ready for Panchayat and Municipal elections and Party should take a pledge from here that it will emerge victorious in these elections, he added.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that the Government is committed to empower Local bodies, Panchayats and Municipalities.
Talking to reporters at the sidelines of the function, Dr Singh took a dig at opposition of spreading canards on National Food Security Act and said that the families who are not covered under the Act will be provided rice at Rs 10 a kg and Rs 8 per Kg flour. However, the elite class will not get this benefit, he added.
He said that no decision has been taken as yet by the Party whether it will contest the forthcoming local bodies and Panchayat elections in alliance with PDP or not. The party will sit and take a decision in this regard, he added.
On the question regarding the statement of Chief Minister that changing mindset of BJP on J&K was a major achievement, Dr Singh said that he can’t say any thing on that as the coalition is run on the agenda of alliance and nothing except that.
Maintaining that Party believes in democratic values BJP national vice president Sham Jaju said BJP has a tradition of holding organizational elections after every three years. He said BJP is emerging as most popular party in the country as it runs Government in 14 States at present and Party has maximum number of MLAs and MPS.
Highly praising the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership he said since he took over as Prime Minister last year India’s image increased at international level and America which had denied visa to Mr Modi earlier is now praising him.
He said India is progressing fast under his leadership and our growth rate is more than China.
BJP senior leader Ashok Khajuria said that no matter the Party is in coalition with PDP but BJP’s firm stand on principles and ideology will never be compromised. Formation of Government was mandate of people and we honoured the verdict.
BJP general secretary org Ashok Kaul also spoke on the occasion.
The other BJP leaders present on the occasion included, Yudhvir Sethi, Ashwani Sharma ex MLA, Sunil Sethi, S S Bijral, Ishtiyaq Wani national vice chairman Minority Morcha BJP, Daljit Singh, Dr Nirmal Kamal, Mamta Singh ,Aseem Gupta, Karan Singh,Purnima Sharma, Mohan Singh Chauhan, Arun Gupta,T N Bhat, Chander Mohan Gupta, Munish Sharma, Sanjay Baru, Vipin Shastri, Shilpi Verma, Sakina Bano, Rajni Sethi, Anil Parihar, Omi Khajuria, Baldev Singh Baloria, Ayodhya Gupta, Rajesh Gupta, B B Gosani and others.
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