As several leaders eye ticket, more trouble brewing for BJP in Jammu

Jammu, September 1

There seems to be no end to the BJP’s problems as multiple leaders are expecting party ticket from same segments in in the Jammu region, which is considered to be a stronghold of the saffron party.

Rajouri, Udhampur may see conflict

• A group wants district president Dinesh Sharma to contest from Rajouri town, but insiders say another leader’s name is doing the rounds.
• In Udhampur East, BJP’s state vice-president Pawan Khajuria and former MLA from Ramnagar RS Pathania are in competition.
• Party’s UT chief Ravinder Raina, who was an MLA from Nowshera in 2014, is also waiting for the announcement of candidate from the constituency.

From protest demonstrations at its party office to resignation of senior leaders, the party is facing intense pressure due to infighting and is trying hard to put a lid on the embarrassment ahead of the Assembly elections.

Party workers in several areas, including the Chhamb and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi constituencies, have protested against the party’s choice of candidates. The BJP may face even more trouble after the announcement of candidates from remaining seats in Jammu, Udhampur, Rajouri and Kathua districts.

Sources have said that seats like Rajouri, Nowshera, Kathua, Bahu and Udhampur East could trigger another wave of protests as multiple candidates are expecting ticket in these areas.

It has been learnt that a group of workers want BJP’s Rajouri district president Dinesh Sharma to contest from the Rajouri town seat. But insiders have said that another leader’s name was doing the rounds for the party’s candidature, which is likely to infuriate Sharma’s supporters.

A similar tussle is brewing in the Udhampur East constituency, where two candidates — including BJP’s state vice-president Pawan Khajuria and former MLA from Ramnagar RS Pathania — are in competition.

The BJP is yet to decide the names of candidates for seven Assembly segments in Jammu region — Bahu, Marh, Kathua (ST), Udhampur East, Nowshera, Rajouri and Bishnah.

Party’s J&K Assembly poll in-charge Ram Madhav on Saturday rushed to Jammu to douse the fire of rebellion in different quarters. Senior party leaders, including Minister Jitendra Singh, G Kishan Reddy and national general secretary Tarun Chugh, are camping in Jammu and coordinating with party UT chief Ravinder Raina regarding the infighting.

Interestingly, Ravinder Raina, who was an MLA from the Rajouri district’s Nowshera segment in 2014, is also waiting for the announcement of candidate from the constituency.

The BJP had inducted three senior leaders from other parties in Rajouri and Poonch. Chowdhary Zulfikar Ali, who switched to the BJP from Apni Party, has been fielded from Budhal; former PDP leader Murtaza Khan from Mendhar; while former Congress leader Choudhary Abdul Ghani will contest from Poonch Haveli.

Infuriated over allocation of seats to turncoats, BJP’s local leaders have claimed that these were ‘parachute’ leaders and were unlikely to receive support from the BJP cadre in Rajouri and Poonch districts.

Meanwhile, BJP UT president Ravinder Raina on Sunday slammed the National Conference for advocating dialogue with Pakistan. He asked the NC to clarify if initiating dialogue with the neighbouring country would end terrorism and bloodshed in the Union Territory.

He also played down the protests and resignations by his party leaders and workers over the selection of candidates, saying he was confident that the BJP would form the government on its own.

The party has also launched video vans to boost its poll campaign in the UT. Raina said every segment would be covered to highlight the achievements of the Centre over the past 10 years, especially regarding the justice for the deprived sections of the society after the abrogation of Article 370.

He assured that his party will resolve the issue of daily wagers, ad hoc and need-based employees who have been demanding their regularisation for decades.

(With inputs from PTI)