Early Times Report
JAMMU, June 16: Too much loyalty for his old mentor Ghulam Nabi Azad did cost former President of Kathua Municipal Council, Naresh Sharma heavily.
Even as action against Naresh Sharma, who alongwith four other BJP Councilors of Municipal Council Kathua was disqualified on June 11, was taken under Anti Defection Law, sources said that he is still close to senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, the reason behind the development.
A visit of Naresh Sharma to the residence of Ghulam Nabi Azad for greeting Eid and a breakfast meeting between them on the very next day led to sudden decision on disqualification. BJP took serious notice of Naresh Sharma still pleasing Ghulam Nabi Azad and before this closeness could trouble the party in future, disqualification was mulled and got affected through Chief Electoral Officer, sources added.
This was for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir that disqualification action was taken under Anti-Defection Law even as there are numerous incidents of shifting loyalty by the elected representatives.
It may be recalled that the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) J&K on June 11, had disqualified Naresh Sharma among four Councilors of Municipal Council Kathua under Anti Defection Law who had defected from Congress to Bharatiya Janata Party last year.
While disposing off a petition filed by Advocate Shah Mohd Choudhary on behalf of Pushpa Devi and Baljeet Singh, elected councilors of Municipal Council Kathua, to set aside the election of president Municipal Committee, Kathua, Naresh Kumar, Rekha Kumari, Councilor, Municipal Council, Ward No. 06, Kathua, Ajay Kumar, Councilor, Municipal Council, Ward No. 10, Kathua and Renu Bala, Councilor, Municipal Council, Ward No. 12, Kathua, the CEO observed that respondents having admitted to have resigned and given up the membership of their original political party ( Congress) , formed a group and joined another party BJP. The CEO further observed that the group so formed merged with the BJP attracts the provisions of defection under Section 18 A(1)(a) of J&K Municipal Act 2000 read with rules framed there under, on dated 26.12.2018 are hence disqualified accordingly. |
