Within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJ), there are three ways in which new members can join – they are greeted either by a spokesperson, by the general secretaries in Delhi or state presidents in state capitals, or by the party chief or Home Minister. Among these individuals, the third one, which includes Captain Amarinder Singh from Punjab, Jyotiraditya Scindia from Madhya Pradesh, and Suvendu Adhikari from West Bengal, is the most significant and desired. On Sunday, a 37-year-old lawyer became part of the exclusive group as Nadda accepted him into the BJP. Who is Ankur Sharma that the BJP values so highly even though he has never won any election?
WHO IS ANKUR SHARMA?
Ankur Sharma, a software engineer and law graduate, represents an organization, Sanatan Bharat Dal, known for its far-Right ideology and advocacy for Hindu causes. The Ekam organization suggests changing the Constitution to define minority as a group making up less than 5% of the population and declaring Bharat as a ‘Natural Homeland’ for all Sanatanis, granting them complete Citizenship rights, similar to Israel.
Nadda referred to Sharma as a “nationalist” on Sunday and admired his work, describing it as in line with the BJP’s philosophy. He mentioned that we believe he will continue his great work for the benefit of society and enhance the party even more.
The previous year, the Ekam Sanatan Bharat Dal had requested for Kashmir to be split into two Union Territories, one specifically for “victims of the Hindu genocide of the 1990s” and for Jammu to become its own state. Sharma had also supported “another reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir”. Sharma represented his organization in the 2024 Lok Sabha election but was defeated. Despite the 37-year-old and his organisation’s candidate facing defeat in Jammu and Udhampur, they were able to establish a strong presence in the Jammu region, which is more supportive of their ideology than the BJP’s ‘Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas’ slogan.
Is the perfect match happening at the perfect moment?
Ankur Sharma’s inclusion right before the final two stages of the J&K elections is a strategic decision that is expected to benefit the BJP during the pivotal third phase, where areas such as Baramulla, Udhampur, Jammu, Samba, and Kathua will participate in the voting process. In order to prevent a splitting of ‘nationalist’ votes, the BJP required Sharma’s support. Currently, BJP may gain 24 seats in Jammu, Samba, and Kathua.
In the 2014 assembly election, the BJP secured victory in 18 out of the 25 seats it contested. In order for the party to make a significant impact, they must secure as many available seats as they can in the third phase.
Taking over Sharma’s tough stance would also require taking responsibility for his previous actions. He has openly expressed opposition to the reported demographic shift in Jammu and has not hesitated to share his thoughts on Gujjars and Bakerwals. Despite being predominantly Muslim, BJP has aligned itself with these groups, identifying them as the marginalised population of J&K under Article 370.
In 2014, Sharma also came up with the term ‘Land Jihad’ to describe the significant demographic shifts in Jammu, where Hindus are the majority. He further proceeded to defend one of the defendants in the Kathua rape case involving a minor victim. Sharma’s group claimed at that time that the Hindu defendants had been falsely accused. Twelve months later, the software engineer’s extreme opinions resulted in him being included on the hitlist of the terrorist group Hizbul Mujahideen.