Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Oct 5: As the Bhartiya Janta Party today released the list of party candidates for the scheduled Block Development Council elections, exclusion of several old loyalists of the organization and inclusion of some controversial names in the final list have raised many eyebrows .
Besides, intense lobbying by senior leaders for their favourite ones and open opposition of genuine aspirants from rival camps at the same time have also brought into fore bitter differences within the BJP, which claims to be the party with difference.
While intense lobbying and pressures tactics delayed release of the final list for one day, no decision could be taken on a few seats so far because of claims and counter-claims by the aspirants, backed by senior leaders of the party.
Infighting among the senior BJP leaders was witnessed during discussion for short listing of the names for BDC candidates and if the party sources are to be believed, some former Legislators and Ministers have openly registered their reservations against the candidates finalized without their consent.
Sources in the BJP circles said that some property dealers, once die hard loyalists of opposition leaders and even those who have contested against official candidates of BJP in the Assembly elections, are among the list of BDC candidates finalized by the party after two-day long deliberations.
While elaborating, sources said that on one of seats in Jammu district, a PDP associated Panch was selected as BDC candidate by ignoring three-timer Sarpanch and old BJP loyalist because of open backing of the former by two ex Ministers of the party, who have been ‘gifted’ land deals in outskirts of Winter Capital of the State.
Another selected BDC candidate of BJP is a loyalist of then Deputy Chief Minister in the previous NC-Congress coalition Government , who had even facilitated State job to kin of this Sarpanch, sources informed the Excelsior.
Similarly, a number of Panchs and Sarpanchs, who were open supporters of National Conference and Congress only a few months back, are in the list of selected BJP candidates for BDC polls while on the other hand, some prominent names and die hard loyalists of the ‘Parivar’, have been ignored thus raising many eyebrows within the party circles.
While the number of aspirants for each seat, mostly in Jammu and Kathua districts, was more than two, sources said that some senior BJP leaders not only came openly in support of their favourites but also made it a prestige issue to get their choice finalized.
Akhnoor, Nagrota, Domana, R S Pura, Marh, Latti Marothi, Mathwar, Dansal, Lakhnapur etc were among the BDC seats for which intense lobbying was witnessed by the senior BJP leaders for their favourites and even after two -day deliberations, no final decision could be taken on a few seats.
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