Ladakh’s outgoing BJP MP stages show of strength against party’s decision to replace him with 'junior'

 BJP has named Tashi Gyalson, who heads Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council, as its candidate for Ladakh Lok Sabha seat

Muzaffar Raina, TT, Srinagar, 25.04.24 : Voters outside a polling booth in Ladakh: PTI picture

Ladakh’s outgoing BJP MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal on Wednesday staged a show of strength against the party’s decision to replace him with a “junior in political experience”.

The BJP has named Tashi Gyalson, who heads the Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council, as its candidate for the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat.

Scores of supporters sloganeering for Namgyal turned up to receive him at the Leh airport after he returned from Delhi. The defiant MP raised questions on the prospects of the BJP winning the seat, vowing to announce his next course of action.

The disgruntled BJP leader is known for his shows of political chest-thumping and nationalist rhetoric, always siding with the BJP despite anger against the Centre for its refusal to give the region statehood or special status under the Sixth Schedule.

Namgyal had fiercely supported the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019 with the Hindutva ecosystem widely sharing his videos and hailing his “nationalist credentials”.

The BJP MP claimed his supporters voluntarily came to receive him at the airport and are angry over the replacement.

“All the supporters who came here say the decision was unexpected. I am not against the BJP even today and I believe in the party ideology. I congratulate Tashi Gyalson,” Namgyal said.

“But the big question is whether we will be able to retain the seat when so many workers are angry with the party’s decision,” he said.

Namgyal added that his visit to Leh was planned suddenly but he was surprised to find so many people waiting to receive him in just three to four hours.

“Several people from Zanskar, Kargil and Changthang are reprimanding me over the phone on why I didn’t push my visit to Leh for two more days so that a bigger crowd could have been gathered. People are emotional. They will perhaps come here and meet me. I will announce my decision after consulting them,” he said.

“I will particularly try to figure out what people in Ladakh want and take a collective decision in line with their sentiments,” he said.

Gyalson said it was unfortunate that some “individual” was making such statements.

“A good activist should honour party decisions,” he said, denying there was any infighting in the BJP.