Eyebrows were raised following the release of a video by BJP MLA (Sironj) Umakant Sharma who announced that he is abandoning family life only to embrace Vanaprastha (forest dweller/ third stage in Chaturasrama system of Hinduism).
The video reportedly surfaced on February 23. Sharma (59) is unmarried and a second-term MLA from Sironj assembly constituency.
He had defeated Congress candidate Gagnendra Raghuvanshi (close aide of Digvijay Singh) by a margin of over 27,000 votes in the 2023 assembly elections.
Sharma’s elder brother and minister in the previous BJP government, Laxmikant Sharma, died during the Covid pandemic in May 2021.
Laxmikant Sharma was accused in the Vyapam scandal, chargesheeted, and sent to jail before his untimely death. His death was shrouded in mystery amid lack of detailed information from Chirayu hospital sources in Bhopal.
Speaking to DH on the phone, Umakant Sharma said he will continue to serve the people politically and withdraw his salary.
"The entire assembly is my home now I will serve the people like my family members. I am not leaving politics, I will continue to do so by considering/attributing it as a means to serve my people. During marriage season 70 to 80 cards come to me and if I visit one place and don’t visit another, people feel bad. So, I have decided not to attend any wedding functions now. Besides, I have stopped watching local cricket tournaments which are generally played with tennis balls and are simply a waste of time. You can’t expect to produce a superstar like Sachin Tendulkar by this standard," he said.
A post graduate, Umakant enjoys reading spiritual and philosophical books. Sharma lauded the leadership of state CM Dr Mohan Yadav who acting as a confidential man of PM Narendra Modi will champion his cause, added Sharma. He also said he was not shy of holding responsibility, even ministerial berth.
Published 27 February 2024, 10:15 IST