New Delhi: The BJP on Tuesday fielded Tashi Gyalson as its candidate from the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat, replacing sitting MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, who reacted aggressively and said he would soon announce his next course of action.

Gyalson is the Chairman-cum-Chief Executive Councilor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council in Leh.

Hours after the announcement, Namgyal said his supporters across the union territory were expressing their disapproval over the decision.

"Today, the BJP announced a new candidate for the Ladakh parliamentary constituency, replacing the sitting MP, without giving any apparent reason," Namgyal said in a post on social media platform Facebook.

He said, "I have expressed my disagreement to the party leadership through prop channels regarding this injustice to a dedicated 'worker'. Hundreds of BJ workers and my supporters from across Ladakh also expressed their disagreement towards this decision Is."

He said, "We will carefully evaluate the situation and determine our next action while keeping the well-being of the people of Ladakh at the forefront. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all supporters for their steadfast support."

Namgyal came into limelight in 2019 with his viral speech in the Lok Sabha defending the Narendra Modi government's decision to abrogate Article 370 and make Ladakh a separate union territory.

The BJP's decision to remove Namgyal comes amid resentment towards the ruling party among a section of Buddhists in Leh.

Local sources said Gyalson, who is also a lawyer, is better placed to maintain the BJP's hold on the seat, which also includes Muslim-dominated Kargil.

Voting is to be held in the constituency on May 20.