Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 27: With the issuance of notification for the elections for the lone Lok Sabha seat, the National Conference started mounting pressure on the Congress to field a candidate from the Kargil district to counter the BJP.
As the BJP has replaced the sitting Lok Sabha member Ladakh Jamyang Tsering Namgyal with the Chief Executive Councilor (CEC) LAHDC-Leh Tashi Gyalson, the National Conference is arguing that only a candidate from Kargil district would effectively counter the Saffron Party.
The political landscape in Ladakh is currently marked by intense negotiations between key players, the National Conference (NC) and Congress, aimed at reaching a consensus on candidate selection.
Despite several rounds of discussions, a breakthrough remains elusive. The Congress is considering nominating its veteran leader and former minister, Nawang Rigzin Jora, for the seat. However, NC leaders in Kargil are apprehensive about fielding a Buddhist candidate from Leh, fearing it could have adverse effects on their prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
A senior NC leader in Kargil said, “We have engaged in numerous meetings, both in person and virtually, with Congress leaders from Leh and Kargil. We are advocatin After the BJP has replaced Jamyang Tsering Namgyal the NC is arguing that only a candidate from Kargil district would counter the Saffron Party.
The Congress is considering nominating its veteran leader and former minister, Nawang Rigzin Jora, for the seat.
We are advocating for the nomination of a joint candidate from the Ladakh region.
The NC leader expressed challenges in garnering support within their own ranksto streamline the electoral strategy for the upcoming polls.
The leader expressed challenges in garnering support within their own ranks, citing dissatisfaction among party members over the unilateral decision by the party's top brass to allocate the lone Lok Sabha seat to the Congress.
“Our leaders, activists, and workers in both Kargil and Leh districts are discontented with the leadership's decision to cede the Ladakh seat to the Congress without consulting us. This move could have detrimental consequences for the NC at the grassroots level,”, he further said.
On April 8, the NC's vice president, Omar Abdullah, and senior Congress leaders revealed a seat-sharing agreement for six parliamentary constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, including Ladakh. The agreement, reached after deliberations between the two parties in New Delhi, aimed to streamline the electoral strategy for the upcoming polls.
As per the seat-sharing formula, the National Conference would contest Anantnag-Rajouri, Central Kashmir (Srinagar) and North Kashmir (Baramulla). Similarly, the Congress has been allocated three seats, including Jammu-Reasi, Kathua-Udhampur-Doda and Ladakh. |
