![Former member of J&K SHRC, Advocate Chander Mohan Sharma addressing a press conference at Jammu. -Excelsior/Rakesh Former member of J&K SHRC, Advocate Chander Mohan Sharma addressing a press conference at Jammu. -Excelsior/Rakesh](https://cdndailyexcelsior.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Page8-5-2-696x477.jpg)
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 4: Advocate Chander Mohan Sharma, a former member of the Jammu & Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) and the current president of Tawi Andolan, has announced his decision to contest the upcoming elections from the Jammu East Constituency as an independent candidate. Sharma’s decision comes after his resignation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which he described as a protest against the working and policies of the Party’s State leadership.
Sharma expressed disappointment with the selection of candidates by the BJP, stating that many voters in the Jammu East Constituency are dissatisfied with the National Conference and Congress alliance, as well as the BJP’s candidate choices. He emphasized that his decision to contest as an independent candidate is driven by his commitment to serve the people with an “unparalleled track record of selfless service,” positioning himself as the “actual BJP.”
Addressing the concerns of various Other Backward Classes (OBC) groups, Sharma criticized the denial of educational scholarships to OBC students and recalled a promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the grievances of OBC communities after the abrogation of Article 370. Sharma expressed frustration with the BJP State leadership for failing to advocate for the rights of OBCs, including the provision of 27% reservation in line with other States.
Sharma also criticized the BJP State leadership for neglecting critical issues such as widow pensions, the implementation of smart meters and electricity interruptions.
He was accompanied by several prominent citizens and former members of the BJP, including Advocate Kanav Sharma, Ramesh Chander Sharma, Girdhari Lal Sharma, Veena Bakshi, Raj Kumar Gupta, Advocate Sanchit Gupta, Neeraj Chandra, Aadesh Goswami, Rahul Podwal, Gourav Kumar, Bhanu Dhawan and Arnav Khajuria.