After the BJP on Friday fielded the chairman of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, for the Ladakh parliamentary seat, the opposition parties—Congress, National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party—are considering a mahagathbandhan to challenge the saffron party.
The NC and Congress have already firmed up an alliance against the BJP in the two Lok Sabha constituencies of Udhampur-Doda and Jammu-Poonch in the Jammu region. In return, the Congress has not fielded any candidate against the NC in Srinagar.
The PDP, however, has fielded Agha Moshin against the NC and Irfan Ansari of Peoples Conference in Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency. In order to consolidate the Muslim vote against the BJP, the PDP has also not fielded any candidate in Jammu.
The Congress and the NC have however decided to have a friendly contest in Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency.
In 2014, BJP's Thupstan Chhewang had won the Ladakh seat against the Congress by a mere 34 votes. Chhewang resigned from the BJP over the failure of the party to keep its election promises made with regard to Ladakh.
Sensing discontent in Ladakh, the BJP government in the Centre, acting through Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik, took some steps to woo the people, especially Buddhists, to its fold. These steps included granting Ladakh divisional status by separating it from Kashmir and inclusion of Bhoti language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India and strengthening of LAHDC. The BJP government also sanctioned a university and medical college for Leh district in Ladakh.
Namgyal, 35, has a masters in Buddhist studies from Jammu University. He is also considered a staunch follower of the Dalai Lama.
The BJP's worry also stems from the fact that it lost the municipal elections to the Congress in 2018.
According to sources, the Congress and NC are looking for a consensus candidate to prevent the split of Muslim votes between the two parties. The PDP is likely to back the move tacitly as it did in Jammu region to prevent an advantage for the BJP.
Sources said the decision on a consensus candidate will be taken before April 5.
In case, if the opposition fails to find a consensus candidate, all parties will field separate candidates. Such a scenario will help the BJP.
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Sources said the Congress and NC could also agree on fielding an independent candidate from Kargil district where Muslims form the majority.
Political leaders are also in contact with the influential Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT) and Islamia School Kargil (ISK) for their support for an independent candidate.
Ladakh parliamentary constituency will vote on May 6 in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.