Venod Sharma Explained

Venod Sharma
Office2:Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha)
Term Start2:10 April 1992
Term End2:9 April 1998
Office3:Member of Legislative Assembly of Haryana
Term Start3:2005
Term End3:2009
Term Start4:2009
Term End4:2014
Office:Member of Punjab Legislative Assembly
Term Start1:1980
Term End1:1985
Birth Date:1948 1, df=yes
Nationality:Indian
Party:Haryana Jan Chetna Party
Otherparty:Indian National Congress
Spouse:Shakti Rani Sharma
Children:Manu Sharma
Shubham Sharma
Kartikeya Sharma
Occupation:Politician

Venod Sharma (born 10 January 1948) is an Indian politician, Father of Manu Sharma(Jessica Lal case) and the founder of the Jan Chetna Party. He was student leader and associated with INC student outfit NSUI. He made it into political mainstream when he was elected as MLA from Banur in 1980 Punjab assembly election. In next assembly elections he lost to Kanwaljit Singh. He was formerly a member of the Indian National Congress, which he represented as a Member of Legislative Assembly (1980) from Banur, Punjab then Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha (1992 - 1998) and as a Member of Legislative Assembly (2005 - 2014) from Ambala, Haryana.

Sharma was associated with the Indian National Congress (INC) for 40 years.[1]

In 1999, he resigned from the Indian National Congress during 1999 Indian general election after his son Manu Sharma was accused in the Jessica Lal murder case and he allegedly tried to bribe a witness.[2] Sharma returned into Congress in 2004 and won the 2005 Haryana Legislative Assembly election from Ambala city. He was re-elected from the same constituency in 2009.[3]

On 19 April 2014, Sharma was expelled from the Indian National Congress, for campaigning against it in the recent elections. On 2 May 2014, he resigned as a Member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly and on 23 June he founded his own political party, Haryana Jan Chetna Party (V).[4] [5] [6] [7] It was alleged that his decision to quit was motivated by a desire to protect his corporate interests.[8]

Sharma and his wife, Shakti Rani Sharma, contested the 2014 Haryana state election and lost it to BJP candidates.[9] [10] There were allegations of Poll Code violations by Sharma during the elections.[11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: List of Former Members of Rajya Sabha (Term Wise). 7 August 2014.
  2. News: Dinker Vashisht. Venod Sharma: The man who could have been CM. 14 June 2016. Indian Express. 20 January 2009.
  3. News: Expelled Cong leader Venod Sharma resigns as MLA. 7 August 2014. Zee News. 2 May 2014.
  4. News: Venod Sharma, 18 expelled from Congress. 7 August 2014. The Times of India. 20 April 2014.
  5. News: Saini. Manveer. 3 May 2014. Venod Sharma resigns as Ambala City MLA. The Times of India. 7 August 2014.
  6. News: Expelled Congress leader Venod Sharma resigns as MLA . 22 June 2019 . . 2 May 2014.
  7. News: Ambala MLA Venod Sharma forms own political party. 23 June 2014. The Times of India. 7 August 2014.
  8. Web site: Venod Sharma's corporate interests behind his quit-Cong gameplan. https://web.archive.org/web/20140307022530/http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/chandigarh/venod-sharma-s-corporate-interests-behind-his-quit-cong-gameplan/article1-1191858.aspx. dead. 7 March 2014.
  9. Web site: Modi tsunami helps BJP sweep Haryana elections. 25 December 2019.
  10. News: Media and politics in Haryana. Sevanti. Ninan. 30 October 2014. Mint. 25 December 2019.
  11. News: Poll code violation notice to Venod Sharma. 11 October 2014. The Times of India. 25 December 2019.