The cautionary tale of Ram Bilas Sharma

Ram Bilas Sharma may be the epitome of the loyal party soldier. But in today’s day and age, the ex-Haryana BJP chief is what we in the business call a ‘done-overed’. Despite being denied an election ticket for Haryana’s assembly polls scheduled for later this week, Sharma – after breaking into tears for being ‘done over’ by his party – stated that he bears no grudges, and will do everything for his party to come up tops again in these elections. Hanuman-level devotion? Or underselling himself so much that he has taken himself out of the market?

You would think a 5-time MLA, 3-time state minister and all-time party animal who helped BJP dig its decadal heels into government, one would have thought the man would have been given some function more than cheerleading from the sides by the lords in Delhi. Most would pack up their desk, update their LinkedIn profile, and start ‘networking’. In the free market of current Indian politics, that would mean moving to another ‘company’ for a good compensation package. But not our Ram. Frankly, it’s a move that would have HR managers laughing their way to the talent bank and make any career coach cringe. In a world where professionals are encouraged to know their worth and seek opportunities that value their contributions, here’s a cautionary tale of unwavering loyalty. We wish Mr Sharma all the best.