Sajjad opts out, Jan now lone candidate from Kargil
*Sr leaders from Cong to canvass for Namgayal
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 5: In a swift turn of events overnight, noted leader Sajjad Kargili, a representative of Islamia School Kargil (ISK) announced withdrawal from the contest for Ladakh Lok Sabha seat leaving only one candidate Haji Haneefa Jan, district president National Conference who has filed nomination papers as an Independent candidate, in the fray from Kargil district while two other nominees in the race are from Leh including Tashi Gyalson (BJP) and Tsering Namgayal (Congress).
Leh district is dominated by Buddhists and Kargil by Shia Muslims.
A total of five candidates were left in the fray yesterday after scrutiny of nomination papers. Sajjad Kargili and Kacho Mohammad Feroz, an Executive Councillor in Kargil Hill Development Council, who has filed papers as covering candidate of Haneefa Jan, will opt out of the race tomorrow on last date of withdrawal of nominations leaving only three candidates in fray including BJP’s Gyalson, Namgayal (Congress) and Haneefa Jan, an Independent, who is backed by NC and Congress units of Kargil besides other religious and social organizations of the district.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
BJP and Congress candidates are from Leh district while lone Independent is from Kargil district.
Political observers are of the view that a split of votes in Leh between BJP and Congress will give advantage to Haneefa Jan, who will be lone candidate from district Kargil.
Sajjad Kargili confirmed to the Excelsior that he has opted out of the contest from Ladakh Parliamentary constituency and will formally withdraw the nomination papers tomorrow.
“I represent Islamia School Kargil. In the interest of unity, it has been decided that there will be only one candidate from Kargil district. I will withdraw and extend full support to Haneefa Jan,” Kargili said.
Meanwhile, unfazed by the unity in Kargil, the BJP which won Ladakh seat in 2014 and 2019, has decided to intensify campaign to ensure victory of its candidate Tashi Gyalson, sitting Chairman-cum-CEC, Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to address a rally in Leh on May 12 while Union Minister Kiren Rijiju will camp in Ladakh for two days on May 7 and 8 and address a series of rallies in support of the BJP candidate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to hold a rally in Leh but the date is yet to be finalized. In case election schedule of Modi is hectic, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address a rally in Leh, the party leaders said.
The Congress is also expected to send its senior leaders to Ladakh for campaigning in support of party candidate Tsering Namgayal, Leader of Opposition (LOP) in Leh Hill Council.
It, however, is yet to be seen whether senior National Conference leaders Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah hold rallies in favour of Haneefa Jan or not. Though Jan is district president of National Conference and also served as Chairman-cum-CEC of Kargil Hill Council, he is contesting the election as an Independent candidate with the support of NC and Congress units of Kargil besides social and religious bodies.
As per INDIA bloc agreement, Ladakh seat had gone to the Congress along with Jammu and Udhampur, while NC is contesting all three seats of Kashmir.
Ladakh seat will go to polls in fifth phase on May 20.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
