Vijay Sharma is an Indian politician who is serving as the deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh, along with Arun Sao, in the ministry of Vishnu Deo Sai. He is the member of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly from Kawardha Assembly constituency. He is also the general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Chhattisgarh and has previously served as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP, in the state.
Early Life and Education
Vijay Sharma was born on 19 July 1973 in Kawardha, Kabirdham district, Chhattisgarh. His father, Ratan Lal Sharma, was a farmer and his mother was a homemaker. He has a brother, Ajay Sharma, who is also involved in politics. Vijay Sharma completed his schooling from Swami Karpatri Ji Government Higher Secondary School Kawardha and Government Higher Secondary School, Kawardha, Bhopal. He then pursued a bachelor’s degree in science and a master’s degree in physics from Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur. He also obtained a postgraduate diploma in computer application, a diploma course in English, and a master’s degree in computer applications from Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University, Bhopal.
Political Career
Vijay Sharma started his political career in college, when he joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student union affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He became the coordinator of the Kawardha Nagar unit of the ABVP and participated in various student movements. He also formed a local student organization called Chhatra Sangharsh Morcha to raise the issues of the students. He remained active in the student politics till 1996.
After completing his education, he worked as an operator at Page Me pager company from 1996 to 1997 and at Reliance Telecom Limited from 1998 to 2001. He then decided to join the BJP and became the district president of the BJYM in Kabirdham district in 2004. He rose through the ranks of the party and became the state president of the BJYM in 2012. He was also appointed as the general secretary of the BJP in Chhattisgarh in 2018.
In the 2023 Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly election, Vijay Sharma contested from the Kawardha Assembly constituency and defeated the sitting cabinet minister Mohammad Akbar of the Indian National Congress by a margin of 39,592 votes. He was sworn in as the deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh on 13 December 2023, along with Arun Sao, in the ministry of Vishnu Deo Sai, who became the chief minister after the BJP won the majority in the assembly. Vijay Sharma also holds the portfolios of home and jail, panchayat and rural development, technical education and employment, science and technology in the government of Chhattisgarh.
Controversies
Vijay Sharma has faced some controversies in his political career. In 2018, he was taken into custody by the police for allegedly encouraging conflict and unrest within the village of Kukurkata in Kabirdham district. He was accused of instigating the villagers to oppose the construction of a dam on the Sakri river by the state government. He was later released on bail. He was also booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for violating the model code of conduct during the 2023 assembly election. He was accused of using loudspeakers without permission, distributing money and liquor to the voters, and threatening the election officials.
Personal Life
Vijay Sharma is married to Rashmi Sharma, who is a homemaker. They have a son, Abhinav Sharma, who is studying in school. Vijay Sharma follows Hinduism and is a devotee of Lord Shiva. He lives in Kawardha, Chhattisgarh, with his family.
Net Worth and Assets
According to his affidavit filed in 2023, Vijay Sharma has a net worth of Rs. 2.18 crore, which includes movable assets worth Rs. 1.08 crore and immovable assets worth Rs. 1.10 crore. His movable assets include cash, bank deposits, jewellery, vehicles, insurance policies, and shares. His immovable assets include agricultural land, residential buildings, and commercial shops.
Facts and Trivia
- Vijay Sharma is fond of reading books, especially on history and politics. He also likes to watch movies and listen to music in his spare time.
- Vijay Sharma is active on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. He has more than 50,000 followers on Twitter and more than 1 lakh followers on Facebook. He uses these platforms to interact with his supporters and share his views on various issues.
- Vijay Sharma is considered as one of the rising stars of the BJP in Chhattisgarh. He is known for his organizational skills, grassroots connect, and dynamic leadership. He is also seen as a close aide of the former chief minister and BJP leader Raman Singh, who is now the speaker of the Chhattisgarh assembly.
References
1: Vijay Sharma (politician) – Wikipedia 2: Vijay Sharma (Politician) Wiki, Age, Caste, Family, Biography & More – WikiBio 3: Chhattisgarh to get 2 deputy Chief Ministers, ex-Chief Minister Raman Singh to be Speaker 4: Who is Vijay Sharma? Know all about Chhattisgarh’s next Deputy Chief Minister | News – India TV
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