Before the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has suffered another major setback. On Saturday, two more BJP leaders announced their decision to leave the party. BJP’s Samba district president Kashmir Singh has resigned from the primary membership of the party. Kashmir Singh was protesting against giving ticket to Surjit Singh Salathia, who left the Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference and joined the BJP.
Kashmir Singh was angry because of this
Opposing the candidature of former Jammu and Kashmir minister Surjit Singh Slathia, Kashmir Singh said, “With a heavy heart, I am resigning from the primary membership of the party for which I have worked for 42 years. I was forced by circumstances as the party gave ticket to a person who came from the National Conference (NC) and was vehemently opposed to our ideology for decades.”
Slathia, who was a minister in the Omar Abdullah-led Congress-NC coalition government, joined the BJP in 2021. Recalling his contribution to the BJP, Kashmir Singh told PTI, “We strengthened the BJP in Samba and made many sacrifices to take forward the ideology of Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee and the BJP. We staged protests and held strikes for the removal of Article 370 and the ticket was given to a person who was always against our ideology and the removal of Article 370. This is not justice to the common workers.”
In his resignation letter sent to Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina, Kashmir Singh said he would withdraw his resignation if the party replaces Slathia with a senior BJP member. “Otherwise, I will carry forward this struggle and file my nomination papers as an independent candidate against him,” he said.
Chandra Mohan Sharma resigns
Besides, senior leader and advocate Chandra Mohan Sharma on Friday announced his resignation from the BJP and threatened to contest the assembly elections as an independent from the Jammu East constituency if the party high command did not reconsider its decision to field another BJP leader from the seat. Jammu East is scheduled to go to polls on October 1 in the final phase of the J&K assembly elections.
Speaking to media here, 70-year-old Sharma said there was resentment among BJP leaders and workers over the “improper” selection of candidates for several assembly constituencies. “They are protesting and are saddened by all this. I, one of the most senior leaders of the BJP, have resigned from the party,” he said. “It is time for the party leaders camping here to take a decision in the matter… If they reconsider their decision on change of mandate in Jammu East constituency, it is fine. Otherwise, I will accept the demand of those workers who want me to contest as an independent,” Sharma said. He said he hoped the people of the seat would support him.
BJP Yuva Morcha’s youth leader left the party
Another BJP leader Kanav Sharma also resigned in protest against the party’s decision to field Yudhvir Sethi from Jammu East. Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha Jammu district chief Kanav Sharma said, “Sethi is known for his corrupt activities, when his wife Priya Sethi was the education minister, she committed corruption… I resign along with my team members and my team is dissolved with immediate effect.” Let us tell you that assembly elections are being held in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time in ten years. Elections will be held in three phases on 18, 25 September and 1 October. Counting of votes will take place on 4 October.
