BJP Scrambles to Contain Fallout as Party Workers Reject Initial Candidate List for J&K Polls

JAMMU, Aug 26: In a significant development ahead of the upcoming elections, the BJP today released a revised list of 16 candidates for the first phase of the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls scheduled for September 18. This comes after the party hurriedly withdrew an earlier list of 44 candidates that was originally released for all three phases of the Assembly elections to be held in September and October. The initial list sparked a wave of controversy within the party, as several BJP loyalists were overlooked in favor of candidates who had recently joined the party, leading to widespread resentment among the party ranks.

Following the release of the first list, a large number of party activists from various constituencies in Jammu rushed to the BJP headquarters to express their dissatisfaction with the selection process. They protested against the allocation of mandates to what they termed “parachute candidates,” individuals who had joined the party just a few days prior, at the expense of long-serving and loyal party workers.

The BJP’s first list, which covered 36 constituencies in the Jammu region and eight in the Kashmir valley, included several prominent figures, such as former ministers and former MLAs. However, amid growing dissent, the party decided to put this list on hold and subsequently issued a revised list of 16 candidates for the first phase of the election, withdrawing the names of candidates for the second and third phases. Despite efforts to downplay the unrest, the discontent among the party workers was evident, as a group of them staged a protest at the party office in Jammu.

Among the candidates selected in the revised list is Shagun Parihar, a woman candidate whose father, Ajeet Parihar, and uncle, Anil Parihar, both BJP members, were tragically killed by terrorists in Kishtwar district in 2018. The list also includes three former MLAs, reflecting the party’s attempt to balance the inclusion of new faces with the retention of experienced leaders.

Notably, the initial list had dropped several key figures, including ex-Deputy Chief Ministers Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta, and former ministers Sham Choudhary, Ch Sukhnandan, Bali Bhagat, and Abdul Gani Kohli, among others. This decision further fueled discontent within the party ranks.

In the revised list, the BJP has fielded candidates across various constituencies in the Doda belt of Jammu, including former ministers and sitting MLAs. In the Kashmir valley, the list features candidates such as Sofi Yousuf, BJP’s vice president, and other prominent figures. However, the changes did not entirely quell the unrest, as party workers continued to voice their frustration over the perceived sidelining of loyal members in favor of recent entrants.

Despite the internal strife, BJP President Ravinder Raina sought to reassure the party cadre, emphasizing the party’s commitment to unity and the larger goal of securing victory in the upcoming elections. He dismissed the controversy as an internal family matter and stressed the importance of focusing on the party’s mission. He also announced that subsequent lists of candidates for the second and third phases of the elections would be released soon.

In response to the protests, Sunil Sethi, the BJP’s chief spokesperson, urged party members to remain united and focused on the upcoming elections. He assured them that the party leadership is committed to addressing their concerns and that the final candidate lists would be reflective of the party’s broader objectives.

As the deadline for filing nominations for the first phase approaches on August 27, the BJP is working to finalize its candidates for the remaining phases. The second and third phases of the election are scheduled for September 25 and October 1, respectively, with the counting of votes set to begin on October 4. The BJP, which had won 25 seats in the 2014 Assembly elections, is now facing a renewed challenge from the Congress-NC alliance, especially in the Jammu region, a traditional stronghold for the party.