Cracks in the armour: Cong faces serious challenge from NC rebel candidate in Ladakh constituency

Leh: A little political storm is brewing in the Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency as loyalists, rebels and Independents are joining the electoral fray.

The political turbulence started initially within the BJP when the party high command decided not to repeat its sitting Lok Sabha member, Jamyang Tsering Namgayal for this election.

Namgayal took strong exception to the BJP’s decision initially and it seemed that factionalism would affect the party’s chances of retaining the seat. Thankfully, for the BJP, Namgayal has now accepted the party’s decision to give the ticket to Tashi Gyalson.

Tashi Gyalson is the Chairman-cum-CEO of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.

Both Namgayal and Gyalson are Buddhists and their political influence is mostly confined to this community in Leh and Kargil Districts of the UT.

Namgayal expressed his loyalty to the BJP by going to the party office in Leh town where he publicly announced his support to Gyalson.

This appeared to have put an end to the bickering within the BJP even as the party’s worry remained the dissatisfaction among its supporters, who are demanding inclusion of the UT in the 6th Schedule and also statehood.

The demand was spearheaded by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) whose activists include the renowned environmental activist, Sonam Wangchuck.

LAB’s agitation appears to have cooled down a bit after the body met Union Home Minister, Amit Shah.

Sonam Wangchuck had also left for an environment conference in Canada in connection with his work, but the innovator is back in Leh now.

The Congress has nominated Tsering Namgayal as its candidate for the seat. As part of the INDIA Bloc, the National Conference (NC) declared its support to the Congress and did not field any candidate from this constituency.

There is a straight contest between the BJP and the Congress with well-defined battle lines.

The twist in the tale has now come from the Muslim-majority Kargil District where so-called rebels of the NC have now jumped into the electoral fray. The entire NC leadership in Kargil District has announced support to Haji Hanifa Jan who has filed nomination papers as an Independent candidate.

Interestingly, senior NC leaders, Qamar Ali Akhoon and Feroz Khan accompanied Haji Hanifa Jan to the Returning Officer’s chamber when he filed his nomination papers.

Sajjad Kargili, who finished second in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Ladakh, has also filed papers as an Independent candidate.

The problems for the Congress have got compounded because its UT President, Haji Asgar Ali Karbalaie has announced support to Haji Hanifa Jan, who is the former Chairman-cum-CEO of the Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Council.

Interestingly, NH Munshi, Congress District President Kargil has also announced support to Haji Hanifa Jan. This virtually brings the rebellion within the Congress in Ladakh UT out in the open.

Also, the fact that both the influential religious organisations of Kargil, the Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust and Islamia School are supporting the Independent candidate Haji Hanifa Jan, has sealed the prospects of the Congress in Kargil District.

The Congress is now almost entirely depending on its Buddhist supporters of Leh and Kargil Districts.

The Buddhists in Ladakh region have traditionally voted for the political party in power in Delhi in the past. Whether they show their loyalty to the party in power in Delhi (BJP) again or not, will have to be seen.

Reports on Saturday suggested that in order to consolidate support for Haji Hanifa Jan, the Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust and Islamia School are prevailing upon Sajjad Kargili to withdraw from the contest.

Haji Hanifa Jan has said that he is not fighting for the NC, but as a member of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) which together with LAB started the agitation for inclusion of Ladakh in the 6th Schedule and for statehood.

These developments clearly indicate that the contest could finally be between the BJP’s Tashi Gyalson, NC’s rebel Haji Hanifa Jan and Congress candidate, Tsering Namgayal.

Despite the INDIA Bloc claiming to be intact in J&K and Ladakh, the gaping holes in the alliance have become visible.

The PDP headed by Mehbooba Mufti continues to be part of the INDIA Bloc as repeatedly stated by senior Congress leaders and yet the NC is fighting the Lok Sabha election in Anantnag-Rajouri constituency against Mehbooba Mufti with the Congress’ support.

Similarly, the NC is part of the INDIA Bloc in Ladakh and has not fielded any candidate against the Congress in the constituency. And yet, the most serious challenge for the grand old party has come from the so-called NC rebel candidate, who is supported by all other NC leaders of Kargil.

This makes the contest in Ladakh constituency triangular between the BJP, Congress and the so-called NC rebels.