Kumar Bahukhandi
Srinagar: Internal rumblings within the BJP were out in the open on Monday August 26 when the party withdrew its first list of 44 candidates for Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections within hours of publication. It later put out a revised list, mentioning the names of only 16 nominees for the first phase of the polls to be held on September 18. BJP sources here confirmed that there was disgruntlement among a section of the party cadre over a few names in the original list. A few of the 10 former MLAs who were dropped voiced their displeasure and conveyed the same to the national leadership, including Union home minister Amit Shah.
Though the party leadership, including J&K unit chief Ravinder Raina, sought to downplay the issue by asserting “we believe in nation first, party second and self the last,” a group of party workers held a protest at its headquarters in Jammu alleging that “parachute candidates” were picked and preferred over hardworking workers.
The BJP’s central election committee had met under the leadership of party chief J.P. Nadda in New Delhi on Sunday to finalise the candidates’ list. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah were also present.
The initial list covered 36 segments in the Jammu region and eight in the Kashmir Valley. It included the names of several former ministers and legislators, including Davender Singh Rana (younger brother of Union minister Jitendra Singh), and key political faces who joined the BJP in the last five years.
Among the 10 former MLAs dropped was Nirmal Singh, who served as Deputy Chief Minister in the PDP-BJP government, and former BJP J&K unit chief Sat Paul Sharma.
In the revised list, the BJP has fielded former ministers including Shagun Parihar, daughter of BJP activist Ajeet Parihar, who was along with his brother Anil Parihar (also was affiliated with BJP) was gunned down by militants in Kishtwar district in November 2018.
In the last Assembly elections held in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2014, the BJP had won 25 seats — all in the Jammu region.
( Source : D C )
