* 100% vote cast by 90,000 WPRs
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Dec 23: Over 90,000 West Pak refugee voters have turned out to be a major factor in the win of BJP candidates from nearly a score of District Development Council (DDC) seats, along the border belt of Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts.
West Pak refugees, who got the opportunity to cast their vote in the local elections in J&K for the first time, were highly enthusiastic and participated in good number in the recently concluded DDC elections. The youth and even the elderly persons did exercise their franchise during these elections in big way.
Except Suchetgarh seat in Jammu district, which was grabbed by Independent candidate, Taranjeet Singh Tony and Nagri border seat in Kathua district, by a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate – Sandeep Majotra, about 21 seats in the border belt of Jammu right from Khour, Akhnoor upto Ramgarh-Ghawgal in Samba and Hiranagar-Marheen-Kotpunnu in Kathua have been secured by the BJP candidates. According voting and domicile rights to the WPRs by BJP has played a crucial role for the party during these elections and it will certainly impact the next Assembly elections as well.
While talking to the ‘Excelsior’, several prominent members from refugee families who had migrated from Chhamb and Dava Batala area of the then West Pakistan gave full credit to the BJP for providing them voting right in J&K. They said that it is only BJP which has given new lease of life to them and secured future to their children as now they are being considered as domiciles and applying for local Govt jobs as well. In fact they have attained the true citizenship rights now with this important decision of the BJP Government. Therefore, they had decided to vote for BJP only.
Prominent West Pakistan Refugee (WPR) leader, Labba Ram Gandhi said it is only due to the efforts of the BJP leadership that their people have got the identity, right to cast vote in Assembly and other Local Bodies elections. The West Pak refugees were struggling for the last over 60 years for the citizenship rights. They were deprived of State Subjects rights by the previous governments.
Gandhi said all the regional political parties and even the Congress exploited them, gave false assurances but did nothing except lip sympathy. The Kashmir based political parties were deadly against the voting rights to the West Pak Refugees. They were the big obstacles in their welfare. Now, afer getting rights, their children have high hopes of getting government jobs.
“Since BJP has come to their rescue and provided them long awaited justice, therefore, all the West Pak refugees have decided to vote only in favour of BJP,” Gandhi maintained.
Replying to a question, Labba Ram said that about 90,000 West Pakistani voters reside in border tehsils of Jammu, Samba and Kathua. They were rehabilitated during that time in border areas only including Khour, Jourian, Akhnoor, Pargwal, Marh, Phallain Mandal, Miran Sahib, R S Pura, Suchetgarh, Bishnah, Arnia, Vijaypur, Ramgarh, Rajpura, Ghagwal, Hiranagar, Rajbagh, Barnoti, Marheen, Kotpunnu and Nagri Parole area of these three border districts of Jammu region.
“Most of our people, say nearly 98-100 % have exercised their right to vote this time. I myself conducted extensive campaign for the party and got feed back from all the areas of refugee bastis. I am fully convinced that our people have played a vital role in the win of BJP candidates from border seats of these three districts during recently held DDC elections. But I regret that not even single WPR candidate was accorded mandate by the party,” Gandhi added.
Another refugee member, Janak Singh from Kotpunnu area said that even for the win of BJP woman candidate from Keedian Gandyal, against heavy weight Kanta Andotra, wife of ex-MP Ch Lal Singh of DSSP, refugees voters contributed a lot. The BJP candidate secured 7717 votes from this seat.
Dev Raj from R S Pura said that on Hiranagar, Marheen , Ramgarh, Vijaypur, Ghagwal, Bishnah and R S Pura seats, the West Pak refugee voters contributed in a big way. One can study the status of previous elections and its outcome in this border belt, he or she may find the difference. Even in the next Assembly elections in J&K, the West Pak refugee voters are going to play crucial role in the victory of BJP candidates,” he maintained.
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