Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Nov 3: Former Minister Sat Paul Sharma was today appointed president of the Jammu and Kashmir unit of BJP, a post he had held for two-and-a-half years between 2015 and 2018.
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The orders of his appointment were issued by national president of BJP, Jagat Parkash Nadda in New Delhi, a party communiqué said. The outgoing party president Ravinder Raina has been inducted in National Executive of BJP, the order further said.
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Sharma, 63, was appointed as working president of the party in September and is now elevated to the post of president, replacing the party’s longest-serving J-K unit president Ravinder Raina.
Raina, had replaced Sharma in May 2018 and held the post for six-and-a-half years. Though Sat Sharma was not given ticket to contest the Assembly elections from Jammu West Assembly segment this time which he represented from 2014 to 2018 after the dissolution of State Assembly, Raina had failed to retain his Nowshera constituency of Rajouri district as he was defeated by National Conference (NC) candidate and now Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary.
Sharma a Chartered Accountant by profession had won from the Jammu West Assembly constituency on BJP ticket for the first time in 2014 and also served as Cabinet Minister for 40 days in the PDP-BJP Government which collapsed in 2018 after the Saffron party withdrew its support.
Sharma while talking to Excelsior said that he will work for further strengthening the party in the UT.
He said BJP has today appointed its Legislature Party leader and it will perform a role of constructive and healthy opposition in the Assembly whose maiden session commences tomorrow. He said BJP will see the people’s problems are solved and UT treads on path of progress and prosperity as is the vision of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
“I am thankful to the Central leadership for giving me this responsibility for the second time. I will play my role to ensure the party can script history,” the BJP leader said.
He said the recent Assembly elections gave the BJP “a historic mandate of 29 seats (out of 90) with a 26 per cent vote share as party made big strides across the Union Territory, especially in the Valley”.
“I am a long-time party worker and we will try to take the party to new heights with the support of the workers and the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Sharma was appointed J-K BJP president for the first term in December 2015.
He advised the political parties and their leaders to refrain from giving provocative statements saying it is the duty of all of us to work for promotion of peace in the UT and further the initiative of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi in this regard.
Sat said the Union Government led by Narendra Modi deserves all credit for holding incident free elections in the UT and it is the duty of all of us to ensure that everlasting peace prevails in the UT.
On the nomination of five members to UT Assembly, he said it is the prerogative of Lt Governor as Reorganisation Act empowers him to nominate five members to Assembly two from Kashmiri Pandit community, one from PoJK refugees and two women.
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