Eying 2019 polls, BJP focuses on Shias of Kargil

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune New Service

Jammu, July 15

After repeatedly taking up the issue of genocide of Shias in the Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan area, Members of Parliament (MPs) and legislators of the BJP on Friday announced an amount of Rs 1.5 crore from their Constituency Development Funds (CDFs) for the development of Kargil to establish party’s base in the Shia-dominated areas of the Ladakh region.

After successfully making inroads in the Buddhists-dominated Leh district, the BJP is now focusing on Kargil by accelerating developmental activities, besides supporting some demands of the region’s inhabitants.

On Friday, in a joint press conference with party legislators, Rajya Sabha member Shamsher Singh Manhas said nine Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs), one MLA and two MPs would contribute an amount of Rs 1.5 crore from the CDFs for the development of Kargil. He claimed that this would help the party in working efficiently in the region and strengthen its organisational base.

“We have been dubbed as a Jammu-based party but our agenda is inclusive development of all regions of the state,” Manhas said and confirmed that the BJP had decided to focus on the Kargil region where the party has enough scope to grow.

Buoyed over getting support of Syed Mohammad Baqir Rizvi, Zanskar MLA of Kargil district in the 2017 Legislative Council elections, the BJP is hopeful of making inroads in this Shia-dominated belt where elections to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, are scheduled for August.

In the last LAHDC Kargil elections, which were held on August 22, 2013, the BJP had failed to open its account in the 30-member council.

The BJP is also highlighting atrocities on “deprived and subjugated” residents of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan on different platforms at the national level so as to make inroads in Kargil because residents of Kargil have ethnic, cultural and religious similarities with residents of Gilgit-Baltistan. Before Partition, Gilgit-Baltistan was part of Greater Ladakh, so there are a number of divided families in Kargil who have their relatives across the Line of Control (LoC). After his appointment as the state BJP president, Ravinder Raina had also raked up the issue of Gilgit-Baltistan to strike an emotional chord with residents of Kargil.

Sources said the party leadership has realised that without the support of Shias of Kargil, it was rather impossible to retain the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat, which party candidate Thupstan Chewang had won with a narrow margin of 35 votes from his nearest rival Ghulam Raza in the 2014 Parliament elections. It was the first time in the history of J&K that the BJP had won the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat.

To dole out funds 

At a press conference, Rajya Sabha member Shamsher Singh Manhas said nine MLCs, one MLA and two MPs would contribute Rs 1.5 crore from the constituency development funds for the development of Kargil.  He claimed that this would help the party in working efficiently in the  region and strengthen its organisational base.