Gujarat Assembly polls: Ex-IPS officer Rahul Sharma to float party

Former IPS officer Rahul Sharma on Sunday announced that he would form a political party which will contest the Assembly elections in Gujarat which are due this year.

Sharma, now a practising lawyer at the Gujarat High Court, made the announcement on his Facebook page and invited people from various walks of life to become members of the outfit which will be called ‘Smart Party’.

The IPS officer, who had had several run-ins with the then Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government, retired in 2015.

“As I need at least 100 members to register the party, I have invited people to attend a meeting on June 24. Many of my friends are also with me in this endeavour. We are planning to contest all 182 seats in Assembly polls,” Sharma told PTI.

“We will give tickets to only those who are honest and are willing to work for the society. There is no place for hypocrites and corrupt people. This party will take along all sections of the society,” he said, adding that he himself will also contest election.

Sharma had submitted a CD of call records related to the 2002 post-Godhra riots to the Nanavati Commission.

The state government had issued him six show-cause notices for alleged misconduct.