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| BJP trying to strike balance between Pahari, Gujjar communities | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 10: Realizing that striking a balance among all ethnic groups is important to make inroads in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, BJP leadership has initiated the process to rope in prominent Gujjar and Pahari leaders of this belt.
The BJP has already inducted prominent Gujjar faces of this belt namely Choudhary Talib Hussain and Abdul Gani Kohli in the party and now the focus is on Pahari leaders.
Already Congress leader Mohammad Iqbal Malik had joined BJP, and party was repeatedly ‘hailing’ him as prominent Pahari leader of Poonch and Rajouri districts to maintain a balance between two ethnic groups of this mountainous belt.
The BJP has already fulfilled the long demand of granting Scheduled Tribe status to Paharis.
Sources said that BJP has devised a strategy to rope in both Gujjars and Pahari leaders of Poonch and Rajouri ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. “On the one hand party is vociferously raking up the issue of granting political reservation to Scheduled Tribes (STs), on the other hand leadership is luring some prominent Pahari leaders”, a source in BJP said, adding, “a couple of other prominent Pahari leaders are in touch with the party”.
Ethnic divide between Paharis and Gujjars is deep in twin districts so maintaining balance is important to reap political benefits. Other mainstream parties namely Congress, PDP and National Conference always maintained balance between two ethnic groups so BJP has also decided to follow their foot-steps to open account in five Muslim dominated assembly constituencies of Poonch and Rajouri.
As per 2011 census Gujjars and Bakerwals-who have granted Scheduled Tribe (STs), have 40.07 percent share in the population 4,41,432 in Poonch district. Similarly in Rajouri district, ST population is 39.18 percent of the total population of 5,61,021. |
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