The Bharatiya Janata Party expelled former Himachal Pradesh minister Anil Sharma on Wednesday for anti-party activities and said no member from his family would be a part of the BJP.
Sources said Sharma's father and former Union minister Pandit Sukhram had asked the BJP for a Lok Sabha ticket for his grandson and Sharma's son, Aashray. However, the BJP rejected the demand, prompting Sukhram to approach the Congress. Aashray contested from Mandi on a Congress ticket. This had led to the BJP stripping Sharma of his portfolio in the state cabinet.
Reportedly, Sharma neither campaigned for the BJP's candidate from Mandi nor openly supported Congress. However, Aashray lost to BJP's Ram Swaroop Sharma. State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti said, "Anil Sharma is not a part of the party now. In addition to this, none of his family members can remain a part of the party."
