After local INDIA leaders pick Ladakh candidate, Congress ‘fields’ another face

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, May 1

The Congress late on Wednesday declared Tsering Namgyal, who is the Leader of Opposition in LAHDC, Leh, as its candidate for the Lok Sabha poll from Ladakh, said former minister and senior Congress leader Rigzin Jora.

Earlier in the day, local leaders of Congress and National Conference (NC) from Kargil announced Haji Hanifa Jan as their candidate from the Ladakh seat.

But Jora told The Tribune that the name of Haji Hanifa Jan was declared by the Kargil unit of Congress and NC to pressurise the party.

“Ladakh, under INDIA bloc, was supposed to go to the Congress and Haji is an NC leader. It is not possible for Congress to go with an NC leader even while we are in an alliance,” Jora said.

Earlier, NC and Congress leaders from Kargil held several rounds of meetings and consensus was formed on the name of former Chief Executive Councillor of LAHDC, Kargil, Haji Hanifa Jan who is also a senior district leader of NC.

Executive Councillor of LAHDC, Kargil, Kacho Mohammad Feroz during a media briefing said that there were a lot of murmurs in the media regarding the candidate from INDIA bloc.

“All stakeholders, including senior leaders of Congress and NC, have reached a decision after a series of meetings in which the interest of Leh and Kargil was kept in mind and a consensus was formed. Haji Hanifa Jan will be our candidate who will contest on Congress mandate,” said Kacho Mohammad Feroz.

He further said that senior leaders of Ladakh Congress have gone to Delhi to convince the national leadership regarding the decision.

Now a tussle might start in the party as the party high command has decided to field Namgyal. However, as Jan is more popular, his name was decided upon by the local stakeholders from Kargil.

Meanwhile, the BJP candidate for the upcoming elections Tashi Gyalson on Wednesday filed nomination in Leh. After filing the nomination, Gyalson said that a lot of people are supporting him and also came for filing of nomination.

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