Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 13: Having decided to contest elections against each other, PDP and BJP, the Alliance partners in the State Government, today campaigned separately in Leh for Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh elections while the Congress suffered a major setback when eight office bearers of DCC and BCC Leh resigned in protest against what they called “dictatorial style of working” of the DCC Leh and sent their resignation letters to AICC president Sonia Gandhi, vice president Rahul Gandhi and PCC (I) chief GA Mir.
On the other, the State Government has decided to provide helicopter sorties to the civil administration for airlifting polling staff and paramilitary forces to six remote and far off polling stations of Leh.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the State Government today conveyed its decision to make available the helicopter sorties for airlifting polling staff and security personnel from ITBP, CRPF, JKP and Armed police to six inaccessible polling stations. The air sorties will start tomorrow and could last two days depending upon the weather conditions.
Six polling stations, where polling staff and paramilitary and police personnel will be airlifted, included Skumpata, Lingshet, Depling, Neraks, Youlchang and Fotoskar.
Following delay in Government nod for air sorties, the authorities in Leh had yesterday decided to depute the polling staff and security personnel by road. However, the Government today conveyed its consent for providing choppers to airlift polling staff and paramilitary and police personnel to all six polling stations. Polling for 26 seats of LAHDC Leh is scheduled for October 17.
Meanwhile, the coalition partners, PDP and BJP today carried out separate campaigning in Leh for their respective party candidates.
BJP leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, BJP Incharge J&K Avinash Rai Khanna, Ladakh MP Thupstan Chhewang and Minister of State for Education Priya Sethi addressed a massive public rally at Khalsi in support of the BJP candidates while PDP leader and Education Minister Nayeem Akhter, Legislative Council Chairman Inayat Ali, Rural Development Minister Abdul Haq Khan and other senior leaders held campaign for the PDP candidate at Chushot, Liyaqat Ali.
Though the coalition partners didn’t target each other, their separate canvassing for the candidates was being exploited by the rival candidates in Leh.
BJP top brass is scheduled to campaign in Leh till October 15, the last day of canvassing.
The BJP and PDP have pitted their candidates against each other in some segments. While BJP is contesting 25 out of 26 seats, equal to the number of seats on which the Congress is fighting elections, PDP and NC are contesting eight seats each. New Ladakh Movement is contesting 17 seats. Of eight seats being contested by the PDP, it was facing BJP candidates in seven.
The Congress, which was trying to retain hold of the Council, suffered a blow when eight office bearers of DCC Leh and BCC resigned from their posts in protest against functioning of the DCC (I) Leh.
Those who resigned from their posts included Phunchok Wangdus, vice president DCC Leh, Skarma Stanzin, Tashi Chotak, Dorje Angchuk and Lobzang Tsultim, all general secretaries, DCC Leh, Urgyan Rangdol, president BCC (I), Nyoma block, Phunstog Wangtak, vice president, DCC Leh and Dorje Namgayal, general secretary, DCC Leh.
They have sent their resignation letters to AICC (I) chief Sonia Gandhi with copies to AICC (I) vice president Rahul Gandhi, PCC (I) chief GA Mir and DCC (I) president Leh.
In their resignation letter, the Congress leaders have charged the DCC (I) Leh with “dictatorial working” and sidelining the constitution of Congress at all levels. They said the DCC Leh has not held even a single Central Working Committee meeting for the past three years.
Meanwhile, addressing a massive rally at Khalsi, BJP Incharge J&K Avinash Rai Khanna claimed that the BJP candidates will register victory on maximum seats in LAHDC elections and the party will score hat-trick.
“After winning Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, this will be BJP’s third consecutive victory in Ladakh,” Khanna said.
Dr Nirmal Singh, while addressing the rally, recalled his recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has conveyed his message of “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas’ and assurance of working towards real development of Ladakh.
He said that the Ladakh region had been subjected to continuous discrimination by the successive Governments at the Centre and in the State under Congress and NC but with the change of guards, the Modi-led Government and PDP-BJP coalition in the State are working on the principle of taking all together and hence equal treatment is given to it and the benefits of various welfare and developmental schemes have been extended to Ladakh in letter and spirit.
“BJP is committed to preserve rich culture of Ladakh and providing basic amenities”, said Dr Singh, adding that it was BJP led Government, which had taken the initiative to start “Ladakh Sindhu Darshan” with a motive to familiarize the outer world of its culture and civilization but unfortunately it has been diluted by the Congress and other parties while in power.
Priya Sethi, while making an appeal to the womenfolk to vote for BJP, said that the party stands for women empowerment and their participation in decision making bodies.
Thupstan Chhewang reiterated party’s resolve to work for overall development of Ladakh and equal treatment in all matters and at all levels. He said that the response during the campaigning is clearly indicating the victory of BJP in LAHDC elections and it will be a lesson to those parties which always neglected this region.
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