BJP leader pulls out of electoral politics

Hamirpur, Oct 15 (UNI) Close on the heels of Himachal Pradesh's Animal Husbandry Minister Harsh Mahajan opting out from contesting assembly elections, a senior BJP leader from Hamirpur district stunned the party leadership by pulling out of the electoral politics just days ahead of the polls.

''I have decided not to take part in the electoral politics from now onwards,'' party's former state president and legislator Jai Kishan Sharma said here.

Mr Sharma made this decision at a press conference here yesterday in presence of party incharge Satpal Jain, former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and state president Jai Ram Thakur.

Without assigning any reason for his decision, he said he would continue to remain a dedicated worker of the party and would carry out any task assigned to him.

On Saturday, State Animal Husbandry Minister Harsh Mahajan, in a letter to his constituency electorate and local press here, had announced not to contest the assembly polls due to ''personal reasons''.

UNI