Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 12: Prestige of BJP is at the stake for the forthcoming elections of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh as the party has successfully won two Lok Sabha elections from this mountainous region.
Secondly BJP has fulfilled long pending demand of the residents of Leh to grant Union Territory (UT) status to Ladakh. Early party leadership was hoping to win elections easily but demand of Sixth schedule has added woes for the Saffron Brigade. Future of newly appointed president of Ladakh BJP, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, who has become one of the popular party leaders across the country after his speech on the floor of the Lok Sabha on August 6, 2019, is also at stake.
BJP had captured LAHDC by defeating Congress in the last elections held in 2015. Party had won 18 seats in the 26-member body and earlier it had only four members. Congress, which had 22 seats in 2010, was reduced to just five in the 2015 elections. Two seats were won by the National Conference.
After winning the Ladakh Lok Sabha elections two-time successfully and granting UT status to Ladakh, BJP was hopeful to retain LAHDC easily but Sixth schedule has forced the party to re-devise its strategy.
‘Fruitful’ meeting of Apex Body of People’s Movement (ABPM) members with Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh has boosted the shattered morale of BJP and now the party has adopted an aggressive posture.
Congress- which is fighting elections under the leadership of Nawang Rigzin Jora, is hoping to capture the body from BJP by raking up the issue of Sixth schedule but party leaders from Kargil are creating trouble in Leh by raising controversial issues.
To make the elections purely a local event, the BJP has also decided to issue a manifesto for LAHDC polls. Party has deputed leaders from the Centre to assure people of Leh that BJP leadership is committed to solve their issues. |
