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| Ahead of ULBs, Panchayat polls, BJP reaches out to expelled rebels | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 9: Even as the schedule for the forthcoming Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections in Jammu and Kashmir is yet to be announced, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reportedly begun efforts to re-induct some leaders who were expelled from the party during the 2024 Assembly elections.
These leaders had been expelled after they contested the Assembly polls as rebel candidates against the party’s official nominees. Although most of them failed to win their respective seats, several managed to secure a significant number of votes, and in at least two constituencies, rebel candidates were blamed for the defeat of the BJP’s official nominees.
In the Ramban Assembly constituency, the BJP’s official candidate Rakesh Singh Thakur secured 17,511 votes and finished third. However, the party’s rebel candidate Suraj Singh Parihar, who had aspired for the party ticket, finished second with 19,412 votes. The seat was eventually won by National Conference candidate Arjun Singh Raju, who polled 28,425 votes. Similarly, in the Chhamb Assembly constituency, BJP rebel candidate Narender Singh secured 8,005 votes. The BJP’s official nominee Rajeev Sharma lost the seat by a margin These leaders had been expelled after they contested the Assembly polls as rebel candidates against the party’s official nominees.
Although most of them failed to win their respective seats, several managed to secure a significant number of votes, and in at least two constituencies.
The party is reportedly keen to regain the backing of influential leaders in urban areas to replicate its strong performance in previous ULB elections.
The BJP leadership is also reaching out to several independent candidates who secured respectable votes during the 2024 Assembly elections.
Sources within the party said the BJP leadership has realised that the support of these expelled leaders could be crucial for the party in the upcoming three-tier Panchayati Raj elections, which include elections to the District Development Councils (DDCs), Block Development Councils (BDCs), and Panchayats.
The party is also reportedly keen to regain the backing of influential leaders in urban areas to replicate its strong performance in previous ULB elections.
According to sources, the BJP leadership has also opened channels of communication with Pawan Khajuria, who contested the 2024 Assembly elections from the Udhampur East constituency as an Independent candidate. Khajuria secured more than 30,000 votes and lost to the BJP’s official candidate Ranbir Singh Pathania by a narrow margin.
Sources further said that apart from expelled party leaders, the BJP leadership is also reaching out to several independent candidates who secured respectable votes during the 2024 Assembly elections, as part of its strategy to strengthen the party ahead of the upcoming local body polls. |
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