The BJP on Tuesday finished third in the electoral race in the newly carved Union Territory of Ladakh on Tuesday, as Independent candidate Haji Hanifa Jan won the Lok Sabha seat by 27,862 votes.
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Mr. Jan, a former National Conference (NC) leader, was backed by the section of the Congress, the NC and a socio-religious grouping named the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). He bagged 65,259 votes against INDIA bloc candidate Tsering Namgyal, who secured 37,397 votes. The constituency has 1.84 lakh voters.
Mr. Jan hails from Muslim-majority Kargil district while Mr. Namgyal is a Congress leader from Leh.
BJP candidate Tashi Gyalson came third with 31,956 votes. In 2019, the BJP’s Jamyang Tsering Namgyal won the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat by bagging 42,914 votes and secured 33.94% vote share. Incumbent Namgyal was dropped as party candidate this time by the BJP.
The slide in the BJP vote share comes in the backdrop of street protests by local residents against the Centre over their four-point charter of demands, which include Statehood status to the region and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule to protect land and jobs of locals.
Mr. Jan said the overwhelming mandate he and his party secured reflected “a decisive decision of people”. “I congratulate the people of Ladakh, whether from Leh or Kargil, who voted for me. Irrespective of faith, I will consult all and take forward the four-point agenda in a peaceful manner. Our thrust is to resolve issues through dialogue and peacefully,” Mr. Jan said.
Sajjad Kargili, a key member of the KDA, who withdrew his nomination in favour of Mr. Jan, told The Hindu that voters had sent a clear message to New Delhi on their demands. “I hope Mr. Jan will convey the message to the government – that the people of Ladakh have rejected bifurcation of the State (of J&K) and abrogation of Article 370. Ladakh’s locals are struggling for four-point demands, including Statehood and Sixth Schedule. If the government can’t fulfil our demands, it should give us back our erstwhile State. Ladakhis will never accept any undemocratic set-up,” Mr. Kargili said.
Senior Congress leader Haji Asgar Ali Karbalai and NC leader Qamar Ali Akhoon also congratulated Mr. Jan on his victory. “Our politics is the politics of affection. It’s about unity. The real struggle for the rights of Ladakh starts now,” Mr. Karbalai said.
NC vice-president Omar Abdullah said he was “very happy” with the Ladakh outcome. “A few months ago, you tasted defeat in the hill council elections and now you will represent Ladakh, especially the marginalised people of Kargil in the Lok Sabha. Your victory cost NC its Kargil unit but it was well worth the price,” Mr. Abdullah said. He was referring to the NC’s decision to expel Mr. Jan and other party leaders after they objected to the party move to support the INDIA bloc candidate.
This is the first Lok Sabha election in Ladakh after it was carved out as a UT in 2019 from erstwhile State of J&K.
Published - June 04, 2024 10:52 pm IST
