Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 17: BJP Lok Sabha nominee from Ladakh Thupstan Chhewang today filed his nomination papers while in an important political development, the Kargil District Congress president and former MLA Zanskar Ghulam Raza resigned from the party for contesting Lok Sabha elections as Independent candidate with the support of Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT).
Accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir BJP coordinator Tarun Vijay, BJP district president Ven Lobzang Namtak and hundreds of supporters, Chhewang filed his nomination papers at Deputy Commissioner Office Leh.
Before filing his nomination at the historic Polo Ground, Chhewang addressed a gathering and praised the BJP and its Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. “BJP is a secular party and it is very necessary to have a strong and effective leader who can put the country on development track,” he said.
He also hit back to Congress leader Rigzin Jora, who had blamed few days ago in a public rally that Chhewang has betrayed Congress and joined BJP.
Chhewang said that today’s “Congress is not the same as it was used to be during Indira and Bakula (most popular religious and political figure of Leh) period”. He even said that Jora was also interested in joining BJP during Atal ji’s (Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee) period.
Member Parliament and BJP national spokesperson Tarun Vijay, in his address, reiterated the party’s support for Union Territory status to Ladakh. The UT status to Ladakh will strengthen national security and ensure uplfitment of backward, remote as well as rural India,” he added.
According to the affidavit filed before the Returning Officer, the BJP candidate has movable and immovable assets include a Maruti Alto car and mutation valued at Rs 10.20 lakh besides Rs 1, 44,717 as cash in hand and deposits while his spouse has gold worth Rs 5, 39,550, and immovable property of approximate current market value of Rs 1.49 crore. One of their dependent has investment of Rs 25 lakh.
Meanwhile, in an important political development, IKMT officially declared Ghulam Raza as an Independent candidate for Ladakh Lok Sabha seat.
Talking to media persons, IKMT chairman Sheikh Hussain Lutfi and CEC Kargil Haji Asgar Ali Karbalaie accused the Islamia School of not taking interest to contest the elections jointly with IKMT.
CEC Kargil, Haji Asgar Ali Karbalaie along with his Executive Councilors and Councilors, who were also present in the press conference, extended their support to Ghulam Raza as independent candidate.
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