Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 28: State BJP has left the decision whether to vote in elections of Legislative Council slated to be held next month in favour of KP candidate to Party High Command after mounting pressure from various Kashmiri Pandit organizations urging the party to support the community candidate contesting as independent.
According to party sources BJP State executive which met here two days back held a marathon meeting on the issue in which Shiban Krishan Dhooda who is contesting as independent candidate for the elections to Upper House also participated.
The meeting was chaired BJP State president, Jugal Kishore Sharma and 20 members of State executive attended it. After having detailed discussions with Mr Dhooda the State executive left the final decision to Party High Command in this regard.
Sources said majority of the members of the executive were also in favour that party should review its boycott decision as the same may help the coalition candidates and were in favour of voting for Mr Dhooda. However, a consensus could not emerge and State executive left the decision to Party High Command.
Mr Dhooda said he has also met all opposition MLAs including the group of seven MLAs led by Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, NPP, PDP and independents and they all have assured him support. However, the support of four BJP MLAs who have earlier decided to boycott the elections is crucial for him.
Mr Dhooda said he also met BJP national president Raj Nath Singh and other senior party leaders at New Delhi seeking the Party’s support.
“I met Raj Nath Singh and other senior party leaders at New Delhi and appealed them to support me as a minority candidate and they assured me that they will take up the issue with State leadership asking them to review the boycott decision”, he added.
Admitting that party held a State executive meeting on the issue, BJP State president Jugal Kishore Sharma said that the final decision was left to Party High Command.
Follow our WhatsApp channel