BJP fields CEC, revives UT demand
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 29: As the BJP today fielded Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh Chairman, Jamyang Tsering Namgayal for prestigious Ladakh Parliamentary seat, the Opposition parties and some religious bodies have joined hands to form ‘Mahagathbandhan’ like Jammu-Poonch and Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seats to field consensus candidate against the BJP, which had won Ladakh seat for the first time in 2014.
Meanwhile, 12 candidates were left in fray for Udhampur-Doda and 24 for Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha constituencies after expiry of deadline for withdrawal of nomination papers.
Prominent candidates in the fray for Udhampur seat were Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh, who is seeking second term, Vikramaditya Singh (Congress), Choudhary Lal Singh (Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan), Harshdev Singh (Panthers Party) and Tilak Raj Bhagat (BSP).
In Jammu, BJP’s Jugal Kishore Sharma, sitting MP, Raman Bhalla, former Minister (Congress), Choudhary Lal Singh, Prof Bhim Singh and Badrinath (BSP) were among 24 candidates in the race, where polling will be held in the first phase on April 11. Udhampur seat would go to polls in the second phase on April 18.
The BJP Central Election Committee today announced the name of Namgayal, sitting Chairman-cum-CEC of LAHDC Leh for Ladakh seat. Thupstan Chhewang, who had won the seat for the BJP in 2014, had resigned from the BJP and given up his Lok Sabha membership last year following differences with the party leadership.
Namgayal told the Excelsior after getting mandate that the BJP stands for Union Territory (UT) status to Ladakh, inclusion of Bhoti language in 8th schedule of the Constitution of India, strengthening Hill Councils and overall development of Ladakh region.
BJP State president, Ravinder Raina said the party has fielded 35 year old young, energetic and highly qualified Namgayal, a Post Graduate in Buddhist Studies from Jammu University as the party candidate for Ladakh. He said Namgayal is staunch follower of His Holiness The Dalai Lama and had played major role in grant of divisional status to Ladakh, University and Medical College to Leh.
Meanwhile, aware of BJP’s strength in Leh district in view of grant of divisional status to Ladakh besides University and Medical College, the Opposition parties were trying to field consensus candidate to avert division of votes in Kargil against the BJP, just like they had done in Jammu-Poonch and Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seats, where Congress candidates, Raman Bhalla and Vikramaditya Singh were supported by National Conference and People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Prominent National Conference leader, former Minister and LAHDC Kargil Chairman-cum-CEC, Feroz Khan confirmed to the Excelsior that talks were on between major political parties for fielding consensus candidate against the BJP.
“A decision will be taken before April 5,’’ Khan said, adding if the consensus doesn’t emerge, all parties may field their separate candidates.
Sources said the Opposition attempt to field joint candidate in Ladakh like Jammu and Udhampur Parliamentary seats could polarize the votes as already Leh and Kargil districts were sharply divided, which was recently evident when Kargil district observed complete shutdown to protest against grant of permanent divisional headquarters in Leh. The issue was settled after the Government announced rotational divisional headquarters in both Leh and Kargil.
They added that the NC and PDP support to Congress candidates in Udhampur and Jammu seats, has also sharply divided the electorates.
Insiders in some of the parties said the local leaders of National Conference, Congress and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kargil, were in touch with each other for fielding an Independent candidate from Kargil supported by them. Some political leaders were also in contact with Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT) and Islamia School Kargil (ISK) for their support to the Independent candidate.
Ladakh Parliamentary constituency will go to polls in fifth phase on May 6. A notification for the election will be issued on April 10 and candidates can file their nomination papers till April 18.
In 1998, 1999 and 2009 Lok Sabha polls, candidates from Kargil including Syed Hussain of National Conference, Hassan Khan of National Conference and Hassan Khan (Independent) had won Ladakh seat while in 1996, 2004 and 2014, candidates from Leh including P Namgayal (Congress) and Thupstan Chhewang had won the seat.
Chhewang had won Ladakh seat in 2004 as an Independent and in 2014 as the BJP nominee.
Meanwhile, Martand Singh, who was covering candidate for his father and Congress nominee, Vikramaditya Singh and Prem Lal Dogra, today withdrew their nomination papers from Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary constituency, leaving 12 candidates in the contest.
In Jammu-Poonch seat, 24 candidates were left in the fray yesterday after withdrawal of nomination by Kanta Andotra, wife of Choudhary Lal Singh.
Lal Singh is now in fray for both Jammu and Udhampur Lok Sabha constituencies.
Meanwhile, on the last day of withdrawal of candidature today, no nomination was withdrawn by any candidate in the Srinagar Parliamentary constituency.
Returning Officer, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, said 12 candidates are in fray for the constituency now.
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