SRINAGAR: The entire Kargil unit of the National Conference resigned in Ladakh due to the selection of the INDIA block candidate in the region. They submitted their resignations to party chief Farooq Abdullah, reportedly under pressure from the party’s top leadership to support Congress candidate Tsering Namgyal.
The mass resignation followed Farooq Abdullah’s warning to Kargil party leaders about the repercussions of not adhering to the party’s directive to support the INDIA block candidate Tsering Namgyal.
“NC Chief Dr Farooq Abdullah has directed the Kargil division of the party to support the INDIA bloc’s candidate, T. Namgyal, in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election for the Ladakh seat. He has stated that any neglect of this directive will be seen as a grave breach of party discipline,” announced the party.
ALSO READ: Ladakh shuts down as thousands plead for statehood – THE NEW INDIAN
In the meantime, Congress leaders in Kargil have voiced strong dissent against the selection of the party’s candidate.
Rebel leaders from both the NC and Congress have nominated a candidate endorsed by all religious and social factions of Kargil, amidst a longstanding political rivalry between the Muslim-majority Kargil and Buddhist-majority Leh districts of Ladakh.
With Congress endorsing Tsering Namgyal, leaders from both Congress and NC in Kargil have opposed and put forward Haji Haneefa Jan as their candidate.
ALSO READ: Nomads drive out PLA troops in Eastern Ladakh clash – THE NEW INDIAN
Mr Jan, serving as the district president of the National Conference in Kargil, emerged as a consensus candidate through the grassroots leadership of both parties.
Prominent socio-religious organizations in Kargil, such as the Islamia School and the Khumaini Trust, have backed Mr Jan, ensuring that no other candidate from Kargil would contest, thus avoiding vote splitting.
Ladakh is poised to vote on May 20 to elect its representative MP from the Union Territory, marking the first elections in Ladakh since the abrogation.