Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 30: In a major setback to National Conference-Congress Alliance candidate, Tsering Samphel in Ladakh, Chief Minister’s Advisor in Cabinet rank Qamar Ali Akhoon and Minister of State for Science and Technology Feroz Khan, both NC MLAs from Kargil district as well as former Minister and MLA from Kargil, Haji Nissar Ali have shunned the Alliance candidate and started open canvassing for two separate Independent candidates.
Akhoon, a former Cabinet Minister, who represents Kargil Assembly segment and Khan, the sitting Minister, who is a MLA from Zanskar, have been openly campaigning for Independent candidate Syed Kazim Sabri, backed by the powerful religious organisation Islamiya School Kargil (ISK).
Kargil has only two Assembly segments, both of which are held by the National Conference.
Under the seat sharing agreement between NC and Congress, three seats each were being contested by the two parties in the State. Ladakh seat had gone to the Congress, where NC has not fielded any candidate.
However, Kargil unit of the National Conference, which has high stakes in the district having won both Assembly seats in 2008 and next Assembly elections due in few months, has openly revolted against the party decision.
Akhoon, who happened to be the Advisor to Chief Minister and National Conference working president Omar Abdullah and Feroz Khan, Minister of State with Independent Charge of Science and Technology, have started campaigning openly for ISK backed candidate Sabri.
They have been holding regular meetings in Kargil asking the people to vote Sabri instead of Alliance candidate Tsering Samphel, who happened to be district Congress president for Leh.
Apart from Akhoon and Khan, another prominent NC leader from Kargil, Kacho Ahmed Khan, former Chief Executive Councilor (CEC) of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil has also been canvassing for Sabri. Several Councilors of present LAHDC Kargil, belonging to NC were also supporting Sabri, sources said.
While Akhoon was not reachable on phone, Feroz Khan confirmed to the Excelsior that they had been campaigning for Sabri on the ground that Congress leaders of Kargil were themselves not sincere in the victory of Tsering Samphel as they had been campaigning for the rebel Congress candidate Ghulam Raza.
It was not only the National Conference but even the Congress itself has become a divided house in Ladakh with former Minister, who had represented Kargil segment in the previous Assembly, Haji Nissar Ali also campaigning for Raza instead of Samphel.
When approached on phone, Nissar Ali confirmed his open support to Raza saying he was today campaigning in Leh garnering support of Raza. He charged the Congress high command with ignoring the aspirations of Kargil leaders by not giving them the mandate for Ladakh seat and fielding a candidate from Leh.
Raza was backed by another powerful religious organisation Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT)
Sitting CEC of LAHDC Kargil Haji Asgar Ali Karblaie, a prominent Congress leader has also been supporting Raza.
Sources said due to division in the Congress ranks, at least two Councilors from Zanskar have sided with the BJP and were campaigning for BJP candidate Thupstan Chhewang, former MP.
However, they said, Leh unit of the Congress was standing like a rock behind Tsering Samphel and was leaving no stone unturned in making the party candidate victorious. The Leh unit of the Congress was working overtime to canvass for Samphel as Chhewang was also finding massive support.
Sources said it was due to division in the two Alliance partners that no senior leader of NC and Congress excepting Urban Development Minister and MLA Leh Rigzin Jora has so far visited Ladakh to campaign for Samphel. Jora has been working hard for the victory of Congress.
On the other, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will hold three rallies for Chhewang tomorrow at Kargil, Zanskar and Drass while former BJP president Nitin Gadkari would address a rally at Leh on May 4 giving major boost to the party campaign.
Only four candidates are in fray for Ladakh seat including Chhewang and Samphel (both from Leh) and Sabri and Raza, who hailed from Kargil. Ladakh seat would go to polls on May 7. Campaigning for the seat will end on May 5.
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