BJP highlights post-2019 development to win votes in Kargil council polls 

The BJP is focussing on the developmental projects, undertaken by the Centre after the abrogation of Article 370 and the readjustment of Ladakh as a separate Union Territory from J&K in 2019, as its main plank to win votes in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil (LAHDC-K) polls will take place on October 4.

A BJP election team, comprising senior leaders from J&K, on Monday gave the final push to its campaign in Ladakh. Ashok Koul, general secretary of the BJP for J&K and Ladakh, reviewed the election management team’s ongoing preparations. The BJP is pitted against the National Conference (NC) and the Congress combine in the first ever election in Kargil since the Centre carved out Ladakh as a separate Union Territory (UT) on August 5, 2019. 

The BJP is focusing on the development work undertaken by the Centre in the Ladakh region since 2019 as its major poll plank. “With the unprecedented development of the whole region under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP is set to score a big win in the upcoming LAHDC-K polls,” Mr. Koul said.

Mr. Koul is camping in Kargil along with former J&K president Sat Sharma and former J&K legislator Vikram Randhawa.

Mr. Koul underlined during the meeting in Kargil that the party will seek votes “for the BJP for promoting development”. All the BJP activists were directed to reach the polling booth in time.

Mr. Sharma met several members of the prominent social organizations, Buddhist lamas and familiarized them with the initiatives taken by the BJP government for the welfare of the region. 

Phunchuk Stanzin, a local BJP leader, highlighted the various “landmark decisions taken by the Modi-led government for facilitating development of Ladakh and Kargil in particular” during his electioneering in the region. Haji Abdul Hussain, another BJP leader, said people of Kargil will vote en masse for the BJP.

The BJP is contesting on 17 seats in the 26-seat hill council. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which won three seats in the previous polls, is not contesting this time after its senior leadership switched to the BJP in 2020.