A recent interaction between Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and BJP MLA Anil Sharma during an anti-chitta walkathon rally in Mandi has triggered intense political speculation across Himachal Pradesh. The Chief Minister arrived from Shimla via helicopter, landing at the Kangnidhar helipad in Mandi, where he was greeted by the local BJP legislator. This public meeting, followed by subsequent events during the rally, has once again brought the MLA's political loyalties into question amid ongoing discussions in political circles.
Upon landing at the helipad, when the Mandi Sadar BJP MLA welcomed the Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu instructed security personnel to provide Sharma with the special uniform designated for the anti-chitta rally. However, Sharma chose not to wear the dress. Later, he was spotted at the Paddal ground, where as he moved toward the rally, Congress veteran leader from Padhar, Kaul Singh, grabbed his hand and pulled him along. While Sharma lagged behind momentarily, he was later seen smiling as he walked along with the Congress leader.
This political stir follows a recent statement made by Anil Sharma, where he openly criticized three BJP MPs for failing to provide financial assistance for parking development in Kotli. He publicly remarked that these individuals lacked substance, igniting widespread debate. Responding to the controversy, former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur stated that the matter would be discussed internally within the party organization and that commenting on it publicly through the media was unnecessary.
Anil Sharma, the son of former Union Minister Pandit Sukhram, has a deeply rooted political background. He was previously associated with the Congress party and served as a minister in the Virbhadra Singh government in 2012. However, ahead of the 2017 elections, he switched allegiance to the BJP. He later had to resign from his ministerial post under the BJP government after his son, Ashray Sharma, contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket. Despite these developments, Sharma remained within the BJP fold and successfully won the 2022 assembly election on a BJP ticket.
