Ladakh slipping out of BJP hands

Srinagar: Some of the recent decisions by the Governor’s administration regarding Ladakh region, coupled with the resignation of BJP MP Thupstan Chhewang, have left the BJP almost without any support of visible face in this hilly region.

In the latest setback to BJP, five councilors of the party resigned on Thursday from Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh. BJP has been reduced to minority in this powerful regional body.

BJP has suffered badly during the recent civic polls held in October last year as the party drew blank after the local BJP leaders of the region accused Jammu lobby of BJP of trying to dictate agenda to the region. The resignation of Chhewang, who was BJP’s face in Ladakh, in November 2018 triggered a series of resignations by all the important party leaders in the region.

Neither the Central nor the state leadership of the party has been able to retain them. The five councilors have accused BJP of “intentional marginalisation” of Chhewang, who not only won the Ladakh parliamentary seat but also got 18 members elected out of 26 seats of LAHDC.

Governor Satya Pal Malik in some of his recent decision has given edge to Congress and National Conference in the region as both the parties have started taking credit for reviving Ladakh Affairs Department (LAD) and granting of Central University for Leh. Former Congress minister and the main face of the party in Ladakh region Nawang Rigzin Jora recently met Malik and thanked him for granting Central University to Ladakh and also for directing the administration to route all funds to the Ladakh region through LAD.

Speaking to The Sunday Guardian, Jora alleged that the PDP-BJP coalition government did nothing for Ladakh, except promising many things to the region. He said that he has demanded funds from the State Plan for the Ladakh region on the pattern of North-East.