The Bharatiya Janata Party got a shot in the arm in election time as former Congress MP from Karnal, Arvind Sharma on Friday joined the party.

Three-time MP Arvind Sharma joined the BJP in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal, party’s state incharge Anil Jain among other party leaders in New Delhi.

A prominent Brahmin leader, Sharma had earlier won the Sonepat Lok Sabha seat in 1996 as an independent candidate and joined the Congress in 1999.

He had won Karnal Lok SabhA seat in 2004 and 2009 on Congress’ ticket but had lost to BJP’s Ashwini Kumar Chopra in 2014 general elections.

Sharma had then quit the Congress ahead of 2014 Haryana assembly polls to join Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which had named him as its Chief Ministerial candidate.  The BSP had fielded him from two seats, but he failed on both.

He later quit the BSP and remained unaffiliated until Friday, when he joined the BJP formally.

The former MP had in the past praised the BJP Governments led by Narendra Modi and Manohar Lal Khattar at central and state level respectively and it was anticipated that he would join the BJP soon.

Sharma, while talking to the mediapersons expressed interest to contest from Karnal seat while maintaining that he will accept whatever the BJP decides.

When asked whether he has bargained for a Lok Sabha seat before joining the BJP, Sharma said that he is keen to work under the leadership of PM Modi.  “I had in the past met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and met BJP chief Amit Shah on Wednesday. I had also supported the BJP in Jind bypoll, Sharma said.

“I am impressed with the policies of BJP and wanted to work with the party and take its ideology ahead,” he added.

Earlier, welcoming Arvind Sharma into the party fold, Chief Minister Manohar Lal said that Sharma had expressed his interest to join the BJP and has appreciated the policies of BJP.

Notably, the ruling BJP in Haryana is scouting for winning candidates to contest on 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana.

Speculations are that the party might field him from the Karnal seat. The other seats that he could possibly be allotted are Rohtak and Sonepat constituencies.

 saffron party is looking for a candidate in the Karnal constituency represented by media baron and BJP Ashwini Kumar Chopra.

Union Minister Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, the seven-time BJP MP has expressed interest to contest from Karnal constituency. Currently, an MP from Pilibhit Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, Maneka is seen as a frontrunner for Karnal constituency.

Karnal Lok Sabha constituency is seen as a safest bet for the BJP with Manohar Lal being an MLA from the Karnal assembly seat.

The BJP is also looking for a political heavyweight to break the winning streak of three-time Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda from Rohtak.

KALRAJ MISHRA MEETS HARYANA BJP LEADERS

Kalraj Mishra, incharge for the Lok Sabha elections in Haryana met senior leaders of Haryana in New Delhi to discuss election strategy.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal, Haryana party’s incharge Anil Jain, Union Minister Birender Singh, Haryana Cabinet Minister Ram Bilas Sharma among other leaders were present in the meeting.  talking to mediapersons, Mishra later said that winnability will be the only criteria for ticket distribution in Haryana.

The party is yet to shortlist the probable candidates for 10 seats of Haryana. As of now, people are submitting their applications to contest on 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, he said.

On a question whether Arvind Sharma has bargained for a Lok Sabha seat, Kalraj said that he has joined the party without any condition.

On giving party ticket to a family member of prominent leaders in Haryana or outsiders, the BJP leader said that only winnability will be the criteria.