Venod Sharma is an Indian politician who was a leader of Indian National Congress party from Haryana before he resigned in March 2014. He was a Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution at in the P.V. Narasimha Rao cabinet.
Venod Sharma is currently the MLA of Ambala city, Haryana.
Early life
Born in Doraha, a city of Ludhiana, Venod Sharma is the son of Pandit Kedar Nath Sharma. After his studies and graduation from Chandigarh, Venod Sharma actively got involved with the social cause of women empowerment in different ways.
Early life
Born in Doraha, a city of Ludhiana, Venod Sharma is the son of Pandit Kedar Nath Sharma. After his studies and graduation from Chandigarh, Venod Sharma actively got involved with the social cause of women empowerment in different ways.
His father Kedar Nath Sharma was a loyal supporter of the third Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi and was the Vice President of Punjab Congress Committee as well as the President of the Chandigarh UT Congress Committee.
Political Career
The former Indian National Congress leader, Venod Sharma belonged to the General category of Ambala constituency and had a long association of more than 40 years with the Congress party.Venod Sharma has been the Member of Parliament from Rajya Sabha and MLA from Haryana twice and is currently the sitting MLA from Ambala. He has been elected thrice and the years of elections were 1980, 2005 and 2009 respectively.
The former Indian National Congress leader, Venod Sharma belonged to the General category of Ambala constituency and had a long association of more than 40 years with the Congress party.Venod Sharma has been the Member of Parliament from Rajya Sabha and MLA from Haryana twice and is currently the sitting MLA from Ambala. He has been elected thrice and the years of elections were 1980, 2005 and 2009 respectively.
At the time of his election, the total number of polls was 187157 whereas the number of the polled votes was 131569. With that huge amount of voting, Venod Sharma won with 69435 where the closest rival bagged 33885, making it a big victory for the then Congress leader.
Sharma apart from his current duties was the President of the Chandigarh unit of Congress. He has been a minister in the centre and was also introduced in the Haryana cabinet during the first term of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
A Brahmin leader, Venod Sharma who belongs to a family of staunch Congress loyalists from Punjab and Chandigarh was the Union Minister of State for Food and Supplies in 1995. He enjoys considerable Brahmin support in Haryana, and is considered as the undisputed leader of Brahmins and Upper castes in Haryana and Punjab.
Sharma was keeping his distance from Congress affairs since January 2014. Neither did he attend party meetings, nor did he turn up for the budget session of the Haryana assembly.
Finally, on March 5, 2014, he was expelled by the congress for anti-party activities.
Positions held
1978 – 1983: General Secretary, Indian Youth Congress; General Secretary P.C.C.; President P.C.C.; Special Invitee to the Congress Working Committee
1988 – 1998: President of Chandigarh UT Congress Committee
1995: Minister of State in Union Cabinet
2005 – 2014 : Ambala Constituency MLA
1978 – 1983: General Secretary, Indian Youth Congress; General Secretary P.C.C.; President P.C.C.; Special Invitee to the Congress Working Committee
1988 – 1998: President of Chandigarh UT Congress Committee
1995: Minister of State in Union Cabinet
2005 – 2014 : Ambala Constituency MLA