By appointing senior party leaders to the strategic positions for the ongoing Assembly elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP has started a damage control exercise. Four senior leaders, including two former Deputy Chief Ministers and two cabinet ministers, were given important election assignments on Monday by the BJP high command after all of them were denied mandates for the Assembly elections.
BJP national president J P Nadda appointed former Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh as head of the J&K election campaign committee and former minister Choudhary Sukhnandan was nominated as vice-president of this panel.
One of the senior leaders of the party, Dr. Nirmal Singh was dropped from the list of candidates for the Assembly elections. He was replaced with Satish Sharma in the Billawar Assembly segment in Kathua district.
Choudhary Sukhnandan, a dominating Jat and farmer leader was not adjusted to another constituency as his traditional Marh Assembly segment has been reserved for the Scheduled Caste as per the recommendation of the Delimitation Commission.
Furthermore, Choudhary Sukhnandan was demanding a ticket for District Development Council member Balbir Raj but the same demand was also ignored by the party leadership.
Sulking Sat Sharma and Kavinder Gupta adjusted on important positions
Sulking over dropping his name at the eleventh hour from the Bahu Assembly segment, Kavinder Gupta, former Speaker of the J&K Legislative Assembly and ex-Deputy Chief Minister, was appointed head of the State Election Management Committee.
In another development, former Minister Sat Pal Sharma, who was denied the party mandate on the Jammu West Assembly segment, has been appointed as working president of the J&K BJP.
Sat Sharma, a former J&K BJP Chief from 2015 to 2018, successfully contested the 2014 assembly elections from Jammu West and served as a cabinet minister in April 2018.
This role positions him to gradually take over from Ravinder Raina, the former BJP J&K president, who is now a candidate in the upcoming elections. A former MLA and a past president of the party's J&K unit, Sharma brings considerable experience to the position.
BJP trying to overcome internal turmoil
The BJP recently faced internal challenges in Jammu and Kashmir after releasing and then withdrawing its initial candidate list for the polls due to technical issues. The move sparked protests at the party's Jammu office.
To address the unrest, party leadership, led by Ram Madhav, held individual meetings with the concerned leaders to calm the situation.
BJP rebellion grows ticket distribution
The BJP is facing a growing rebellion in Jammu and Kashmir after the distribution of tickets for the assembly elections. Despite efforts by Ram Madhav to calm the situation, more leaders are speaking out against the party's decision.
Supporters of Pawan Khajuria, BJP's J&K vice-president, have accused senior leaders of corruption after he was denied a ticket for the Udhampur East seat.
Khajuria has given the party an ultimatum to change the candidate within two days, threatening to contest as an independent otherwise. This is just one of several protests that have erupted across the Jammu region, with leaders resigning and contesting as independents.
The party faces a significant challenge in managing the discontent among its workers and leaders, which could impact its performance in the upcoming elections. Protests have been staged outside the party headquarters, with workers expressing anger over the choice of candidates in several constituencies.
In the Marh Assembly segment, workers have protested against the ignoring of mass-based leader Balbir Lal, who was supported by former minister Choudhary Sukhnandan. The party's decision to give the ticket to Surinder Bhagat instead has sparked widespread anger.
