Rahul has new Man Friday

With the death of Vivek Moitra, the late Pramod Mahajan’s right hand man, the spotlight now falls on Harish Sharma. Considered a close associate of Mahajan’s, Sharma, 48, has been running from hospital, to keep an eye on Rahul Majahan, and then to the police and the media, to answer their questions.

Controversy is not new to Sharma, who was deputy chief of mission with the Olympic contingent in 2004 when Indian weight lifters tested positive.

But who is Harish Sharma, the man who took Rahul and Moitra to hospital after their drug-laced party? He started with the Central Excise department in Delhi, went on deputation to the PMO under A B Vajpayee. Here, he worked very closely with Mahajan. He took voluntary retirement four years ago and joined Mahajan’s staff full-time.

He became to Mahajan in Delhi what Moitra was in Delhi. If Moitra specialised in financial matters, Sharma handled public relations. Sources call him a “calm, intelligent man”. He is not a high society party animal either. He was a great admirer of the late BJP leader and friends feel that he considered Mahajan, “his idol, a hero, a go-getter and the man who finishes whatever work he takes up”.

Sharma represented India as a basketball player. He is secretary general of the Basketball Federation of India. Sharma also worked closely with Suresh Kalmadi in the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).