Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 16: Battle lines have been drawn for sensitive mountain locked Ladakh region comprising four Assembly segments going to polls in Phase-I on November 25 with some of the religious bodies also jumping into the battle of ballots supporting different political parties and some others playing neutral. Barring Leh segment, which was witnessing direct contest between BJP and Congress, all three other segments were set for multi-cornered fights.
The issue of Union Territory status for Ladakh, which has been a long pending demand in the region though mostly confined to Leh district, has once again come to forefront with the BJP candidates raising it in the elections and assuring electorates that it could be reality if the party was voted to power.
While Islamiya School Kargil (ISK) has extended its support to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the first time in Kargil Assembly segment, it has left the field open in Zanskar, the second segment of the district. Another powerful religious body—the Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT) has backed the Congress candidates in both the constituencies.
ISK president Aga Syed Jamal told the Excelsior that after several rounds of meetings and hectic consultations, the ISK has decided to support PDP candidate Anayat Ali for Kargil Assembly constituency.
“We will support the PDP in Kargil but we have left the decision on Zanskar segment to our cadre and supporters. They will decide the candidate of their choice and vote as per their conscious,’’ Jamal said.
To a question as to why the ISK has opted for PDP this time as against National Conference in the past, Jamal said: “our leaders have observed that the PDP candidate is better option’’.
On the other, IKMT president, another strong religious organization in Kargil district, has decided to support Congress candidates on both seats of Kargil and Zanskar.
IKMT president Sheikh Mohammad Hussain told the Excelsior that the IKMT has asked its cadre to support Haji Asgar Ali Karbalaie for Kargil and Ghulam Raza for Zanskar seats. Both of them were the Congress candidates. Hussain said the IKMT has conveyed its decision to the cadre.
Karbalaie is sitting Chief Executive Councilor (CEC) of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil and was in fray for party mandate in Lok Sabha elections, which had gone to Tsering Samphel but the latter had lost the election to BJP’s Thupstan Chhewang by 36 votes.
Ghulam Raza, the Congress candidate from Zanskar had revolted against the party in Lok Sabha elections and contested as an Independent candidate.
However, Leh Buddhist Association (LBA), which holds sway over Buddhist votes in two Assembly constituencies of Leh and Nobra in Leh district, has decided not to back any party.
“We are apolitical organisation. Therefore, we are not supporting any political party,’’ LBA president Chewang Thinless said, adding it was for the people of Leh to decide whom to vote.
The contest in both Kargil and Zanskar Assembly segments, which were presently held by ruling National Conference, has become quite interesting with NC not fielding any candidate in Zanskar and backing Independent Mohammad Baqir Rizvi.
In Kargil segment, Karbalaie (Congress), Anayat (Ali (PDP), Dr Kacho Mohammad Hussain (NC) and Abdul Aziz (BJP) were in fray while in Zanskar, Ghulam Raza (Congress), Ghulam Mohammad (PDP), Syed Mohammad Baqir Rizvi (Independent) and Stanzin Lakpa (BJP) were involved in quadrangular fight.
With ISK batting for Anayat Ali and IKMT for Karbalaie, NC candidate Dr Kacho Mohammad Hussain, a prominent surgeon and son of former MLA Kargil, has been left high and dry though the party has its own strong base in Kargil. NC has not fielded its sitting MLA and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s Advisor Qamar Ali Akhoon from Kargil and Minister of State for Education Feroz Khan, sitting MLA from Zanskar.
Political observers admitted that though the ISK has not backed any candidate for Zanskar seat but its support to PDP in Kargil segment could have impact in Zanskar also.
Contrary to four cornered fight in both Kargil and Zanskar seats, Leh Assembly seat was witnessing direct contest between Urban Development Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora (Congress) and Chering Dorjey (BJP) with only two candidates in fray for the seat.
Dorjey had won Leh seat in 1996 as Congress candidate and had later also served as CEC LAHDC, Leh. BJP MP from Ladakh Thupstan Chhewang is canvassing very hard for all four BJP candidates in Ladakh including Dorjey.
In Leh, the UT status has again come to haunt the Congress like Lok Sabha elections with local BJP leadership openly canvassing and assuring that only the BJP can develop Ladakh and give UT status to it while Congress was harping on the plank of development carried out by Jora during his two terms as MLA.
In Nobra, six candidates were in the fray but again the fight was four cornered among sitting NC MLA Tsetan Namgayal, Stanzin Delik (BJP), Tashi Gyalson (PDP) and Deldan Namgail (Congress). Tsetan Namgayal had won the seat in 1996 and 2008. In 2008, Namgayal had won the seat as an Independent but later joined the NC.
Presently, the local candidates were engaged in campaigning in four seats of Ladakh, all of which would go to polling in first phase on November 25. The campaigning will end on November 23.
The BJP was planning to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, party president Amit Shah and newly inducted Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi for campaigning in Leh and Kargil among others. Gadkari had addressed a rally in Leg and Naqvi in Kargil during Lok Sabha election. The BJP had created history by winning Ladakh seat for the first time, albeit with small margin of 36 votes.
State leadership of NC and PDP would campaign in Leh and Kargil while Congress was also planning to bring national and state leaders for campaigning.
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