Early Times Report
Jammu, June 4: In a significant political shift, Independent candidate Mohammad Haneefa Jan has won the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat, defeating both the Congress and BJP candidates. This marks a major upset for the BJP, which had held the seat in the previous two elections.
Haneefa Jan, a rebel leader from the National Conference (NC), secured 64,443 votes, significantly outpacing his nearest rival, Congress candidate Tsering Namgyal, who garnered 35,770 votes. The BJP candidate, Tashi Gyalson, chairman of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh, finished third with 31,505 votes.
Today’s election result was a repetition of history because the same episode happened in 2009 when the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was governed by a coalition of the National Conference (NC) and the Congress. According to their seat-sharing agreement, the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat was allocated to the Congress, which fielded senior leader P. Namgyal.
However, Ghulam Hassan Khan, a prominent National Conference leader, rebelled and entered the electoral race for the Ladakh seat. He received clandestine support from leaders of the Kargil unit of the National Conference, as well as backing from the Islamia School and the Khomeini Trust.
Khan won the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat as an Independent candidate, defeating the Congress nominee from the coalition. Following his victory, Khan extended unconditional support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the request of NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah.
Today the victory margin of 28,673 votes highlights the decisive nature of Jan's win and represents a major setback for the BJP. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP Haneefa Jan, a rebel NC leader secured 64,443 votes, significantly outpacing his nearest rival, Congress candidate Tsering Namgyal, who garnered 35,770 votes.
The BJP candidate, Tashi Gyalson, chairman of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh, finished third with 31,505 votes.
Today’s election result was a repetition of history because the same episode happened in 2009 when J&K was governed by a coalition of NC and the Congress.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP’s Jamyang Tsering Namgyal won by a margin of 10,930 votes, following the party’s initial victory in 2014.
National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah promptly congratulated Haneefa Jan, acknowledging his perseverance and representing the marginalized people of Kargil in the Lok Sabha. "To @HajiHanifa, I’m really very happy for you today. A few months ago you tasted defeat in the hill council elections & now you will represent Ladakh, especially the marginalized people of Kargil in the Lok Sabha," Abdullah posted on social media.
The victory comes against a backdrop of internal strife within the NC. The entire Kargil unit resigned en masse due to disagreements over candidate selection for the Lok Sabha elections. This decision, communicated to party president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, was driven by pressure from the party's high command to support the Congress candidate. After resigning, the Kargil unit extended unconditional support to Haneefa Jan.
The Ladakh Lok Sabha seat has historically seen varied political representation. The Congress has won six times, the NC twice, and independent candidates thrice. Notably, independent candidate Mohammad Hassan Commander broke the Congress's winning streak in 1989. Subsequent elections saw a mix of victories from different parties and independent candidates, reflecting the region's dynamic political landscape.
Haneefa Jan's victory is a testament to the shifting political dynamics in Ladakh and underscores the significant changes following the region's new Union Territory status. |
