Jammu: The BJP has faced resignations from two veteran leaders in Jammu over ticket distribution for the upcoming assembly elections, and there is growing discontent among party leaders in Kashmir, Indian Express reported.
As per the report, the discontent stems from the BJP’s decision not to contest half of the 16 seats in the Valley during the first phase of voting on September 18.
Many party leaders, who were instructed to prepare for elections, feel betrayed, especially where the BJP has favoured new members over long-time loyalists. These leaders, who supported the BJP during challenging times in the Valley, view this as an example of the party’s “use and throw policy.”
All eight seats the BJP is skipping in the Valley are in south Kashmir, a region with a history of militancy. Local leaders are upset that candidates who recently joined the BJP have been preferred over those who have supported the party for nearly two decades. The report added that high-ranking party members like Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, Manzoor Kulgami, and Bilal Ahmad Parray, along with second-rung leaders like Altaf Thakur and Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, have been sidelined.
Minha Lateef, the BJP’s only District Development Council member from Pulwama, resigned after being denied a ticket for the Pampore Assembly segment. The party instead chose Showkat Gayoor, a recent defector to the BJP, allegedly due to his ties with Darkhshan Andrabi, a member of the BJP National Executive and chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board, the report claimed.
The presence of separate power centers in Jammu and Kashmir has complicated matters. Last August, Valley-based BJP leaders threatened to resign en masse, accusing the Jammu-based leadership of not trusting Kashmiri leaders. Despite some leadership changes, the issue persists, with different leaders creating their own factions, causing further division within the party.
Andrabi, who has been accused of favouring new entrants over senior leaders, denied any role in ticket distribution, stating she had no influence over assigning positions or tickets, the Indian Express report said further.
Accusations of favouritism extend to Jammu leaders as well, with concerns that a “mass exodus” may occur if the situation continues. One BJP leader claimed a senior Jammu-based leader doesn’t want to promote Kashmiri Muslim leaders and is responsible for sidelining top Jammu leaders.
Anger also flared when the party awarded the Habbakdal ticket in Srinagar to a Kashmiri Pandit migrant, a decision criticised for lacking trust in local Kashmiri Muslim leaders, the report added.
