Winning the Jammu region again would be an exigent task for the BJP after the LAHDC election result; Omar happy with party’s performance

Winning the Jammu region again would be an exigent task for the BJP after the LAHDC election result; Omar happy with party’s performance

POONCH TODAY NEWS

POONCH/ JAMMU: In the just concluded LAHDC elections, the Congress-NC alliance got a thumping majority while the BJP got only two seats, and this result has given a massive shock to the BJP cadre.

After the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35 A, this was the first major election in the UT of Ladakh after the erstwhile state of J&K was bifurcated into two UTs on August 5, 2019. This LAHDC result has raised a big question mark on the top leadership of the BJP, which has botched to impress the people of Ladakh on the issue of development. After this thumping victory of the National Conference, Omar Abdullah was visibly happy as he charged the union government on various accounts and said that people have rejected the August 5, 2019 decision. The National Conference cadre was seen upbeat and celebrated this victory at Jammu as well. Omar said that the BJP is scared of conducting elections in J&K as the top leaders have realized that the people of J&K have rejected the BJP ideology. Congress leaders also celebrated the party’s performance in the LAHDC elections. On the one hand, the BJP was rejected in the LAHDC polls, but on the other hand, BJP Jammu’s leadership is also facing a credibility crisis because the people allege that the government has introduced many anti-people policies. The BJP always considered the nationalist Jammu region as its strong pocket, but over the last few months, some uncertain policies have led to the Jammu region showing anger against the BJP leadership. Political observers believe that the BJP’s think tank needs to recognize this sooner rather than later, or else the other opposition political parties may band together to keep the BJP out of power in J&K if elections are held, and in this context, the LAHDC results are an eye-opener. On various issues of public importance, like regular recruitment drives, the installation of smart meters, development in Kashmir Valley at the cost of the Jammu region, the introduction of various taxes, or likewise many other decisions that have given a big setback to the Jammu people, the BJP’s unclear policies have put everybody in confusion. In terms of national security, the BJP government has made some bold decisions in J&K, but its failure to meet the total expectations of the people, particularly in the Jammu region, is a worrying sign for the saffron brigade. No doubt, the NC, PDP, and Congress were accused of brazen corruption and questionable policies during their tenures, but these parties mostly preferred not to cause any inconvenience to the public. On the other hand, the BJP has taken some strong measures in terms of national security and foreign diplomacy, but in the Jammu region, which is considered a BJP stronghold, people are slowly showing their anger, and if this trend continues, it will undoubtedly pave the way for opposition political parties to come to power in J&K when elections are held. There are inside reports that top BJP leaders at the union level are not happy with the performance of the Jammu-based BJP leadership, as the party was expecting good results in LAHDC polls, but the growing public sentiments against the saffron party even in the Jammu region have put the top party’s leadership in confusion. Moreover, some people with questionable credentials have joined the BJP, and some more with similar characteristics want to join the saffron bridge to escape the clutches of the law for their wrongdoings of the past. Now, if the BJP continues to allow people with bad credentials into the party’s fold just for vote-bank politics, then it would be a suicidal attempt from a national security point of view, say political observers. It’s an acid test for the top brass leaders of the J&K BJP, who reportedly have failed to ensure public-oriented policies at the grass-roots level to win the people of Jammu back to the BJP. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat also visited Jammu to see the state of affairs at the ground level and directed the RSS cadre to work wholeheartedly despite having full knowledge of growing sentiments against the BJP in the Jammu region. Sensing trouble ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, top BJP leaders, including PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, are likely to visit Jammu to address party functionaries and hold public rallies to win back the Jammu region again. Prominent people of Jammu, while talking to “POONCH TODAY,” said, “Jammu people mostly voted for the BJP by strongly standing in national interest, but we are suffering for no fault of our own as the BJP-led dispensation has introduced many anti-people policies, and it’s a cause of concern for the people of Jammu region.” They said that Jammu people stand with PM Modi, but at the same time, the BJP should not think that Jammuites are fools, as regularly introducing anti-people policies will force the entire Jammu region to stand against the BJP in the assembly elections, if held now. These tough statements, which are coming from different quarters of the Jammu region, are a warning sign for the BJP, and it would be interesting to see how J&K top brass will address the strong public sentiment against the party in the Jammu region.  National Conference, Congress, and PDP leaders are cashing in on these anti-BJP public sentiments by luring Jammuites, and it would be interesting to see how the BJP top leadership manages to control things ahead of the coming Lok Sabha polls, but the result of the LAHDC election has increased the morale of the National Conference and Congress, and the statement of Omar Abdullah after performing well in the LAHDC elections has shown that he is happy with the party’s performance. The BJP in the Jammu region, under the presidency of Ravinder Raina, is facing the toughest time as the opposition parties may come together again to defeat the BJP in the Jammu region, depending on the way things are going if elections are held.