‘Will wait & watch’: Ladakh MP-elect on supporting any alliance at Centre

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, June 7

Ladakh MP-elect Haji Hanifa Jan, who won with a margin of nearly 28,000 votes in the recently concluded General Election, is adopting a “wait-and-watch” approach on extending support to any alliance at the Centre.

He said he would make efforts to initiate talks regarding the Sixth Schedule status and statehood for Ladakh after the formation of government at the Centre. Jan, who is an NC rebel, had resigned from his party along with entire party unit of Kargil before elections and had contested as an independent on the issue of Sixth Schedule status and statehood for Ladakh.

Will seek sixth Schedule status

We will approach the Central Government to initiate talks on the Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh. In case there is no positive response, we will restart the agitation and I will also raise the issue in Parliament. —Haji Hanifa Jan, Ladakh MP-Elect

He had received 65,259 of the 1.35 lakh votes polled in Ladakh. There was a resentment against the BJP in the Union Territory. Its candidate Tashi Gyalson received only 31,956 votes and stood third after Congress’ Tsering Namgyal, who bagged 37,397 votes.

Talking to The Tribune, Jan said he had so far not taken a decision to support any alliance at the Centre and would take a call after discussions with all stakeholders. “As our major issues are the Sixth Schedule status and statehood, we will first consult all leaders of Ladakh and only then take a decision on supporting any alliance,” he said. While NC vice-president Omar Abdullah had congratulated Jan on his victory, the latter denied that any offer had been made to him to rejoin the party.

“No NC leader has so far approached me. We need safeguards for the region under the Sixth Schedule, which was the major issue during the poll and I will continue my struggle to get these for the people of Ladakh,” he said.

Residents of the UT had suspended their agitation ahead of the LS poll but are now waiting for the new government to be formed so that talks on the issue can be initiated.

“We will approach the Central Government to initiate talks on various issues with the people of the UT. I hope that the government will understand the aspirations of people. However, if there is no positive response, we will restart the agitation and I will also raise the issue in the Parliament,” the MP-elect said.

In a recent statement, NC vice-chief Omar Abdullah had said: “A few months ago, you (Jan) tasted defeat in the hill council elections & now you will represent Ladakh, especially the marginalised people of Kargil in the Lok Sabha. Your victory cost the NC its Kargil unit but it was well worth the price.”