| Ladakh scene: No UT, no vote | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Jan 16: The BJP's spectacular victory in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh, elections on October 17, 2015, winning 18 out of 26 elected seats (four are filled by nomination), provided the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre an opportunity to fulfil its promises to the people, but it missed the buss. The result is widespread resentment in the Ladakh's Leh district, which in 2014 put all its eggs in the BJP's basket.
The BJP's main poll plank was Union Territory status for Ladakh, a long standing demand of the people, which was, and is, opposed by the Kashmir-based and Valley-centric National Conference and the People's Democratic Party.
As a result, the National Conference had to be content with two seats, while one seat went to an Independent candidate. The PDP, which formed a coalition government in the state with the BJP on March 1, 2015, failed to open its account. Significantly, the Congress, which had won 22 seats in the 2010 Autonomous Hill Council elections, and dominated the LAHDC for 15 long years, was reduced to 5 seats in the 30-member-House.
Things in Ladkh, especially the Budhist-majority Leh have changed. The Buddhists have lost their faith in the BJP as it failed to grant the promised UT status.
Thupstan Chhewwang, top BJP leader and LS MP, has resigned after tearing into the BJP leaders, particularly BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav, saying they let down the people of Ladakh and promoted only sycophants. Reports from Leh suggest that the Buddhists could vote against the BJP in case it failed to fulfil its 2o14 and 2015 poll promises: UT status; inclusion of Bhoti language in Schedule 8 of the Constitution; early completion of the tunnelling at Khardung-la; opening a route to Kailash Mansarovar via Demchok; and so on.
Reports further suggest that "no UT no vote" slogan will dominate the Ladakhi political scene in the next few days as the people are determined to achieve their age-old goal at the earliest and at any cost. |
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