Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 25: Official BJP, which has four MLAs, had only a few days ago decided to abstain from the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council (LC) elections slated for March 7, is, it seems, now a divided house, with Leader of the BJP Legislature in the Assembly Ashok Khajuria reiterating that the BJP will not take part in the upcoming elections and party general secretary (organization) Ashok Koul making a confusion and vague statement. What has created a division in the BJP is the candidature of Shuban Krishan Dudha for the LC election. The Kashmir-based otherwise defunct People's Democratic Front (PDF) has sponsored this Delhi-based Chartered Accountant (CA).
Khajuria yesterday said that the BJP under no situation will vote for Dudha. His stand is understandable. For, Dudha, who masquerades as a Kashmiri Hindu, is actually a "strong supporter" of the Kashmiri secessionists, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani. He has given a number of interviews in the recent past, which were highly appreciative of the separatists and critical of New Delhi. He, like others of his ilk, including former Vice-Chancellor of Jammu University Amitabh Mattoo, considers the ongoing movement in Kashmir as a genuine movement. Many concerned Kashmiri Hindus consider him "more harmful for the community". Besides, "he", according to credible sources, "looks after the accounts of Kashmiri separatists". It appears Khajuria is fully aware of the "doubtful" credentials of Dudha and, hence, his unambiguous statement that the BJP will not participate in the upcoming LC elections.
Koul, on the other hand, yesterday reportedly said that "In view of the new developments (candidature of Dudha), we will re-devise our strategy", and added that the BJP would take a final decision at "an appropriate time". He left the option open. He gave the Kashmiri Hindu community to understand that the BJP would take into account the candidature of Dudha, whose brother was shot dead by terrorists in Rajouri years ago, while taking a decision on participation or otherwise of the party in the forthcoming LC elections.
There are reports that "a group within the BJP, which has soft corner for Dudha, is urging the party leadership to reconsider its earlier decision to abstain from voting". Insiders also reveal that "differences between the two leaders cropped up during the Thursday meeting of the core group of party, with Ashok Khajuria opposing reconsider of the party's earlier unanimous decision, saying taking part in an election in which the BJP has no stakes will send a wrong signal". "It", according to sources within the party, "would become clear in the next two days whether or not the official BJP MLAs take part in the election". |
