Amid the triangular fight in Kargil, Ladakh, independent candidate Mohamma Haneefa Jan said her focus is on demands like security measures under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and the state raised with the central government.
Hanifa, who was the National Conference (NC) leader until recently, left the party along with the entire Kargil unit to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Ladakh. While he is from Kargil, India Bloc's Tsering Namgyal and BJP's Tash Gyalson are from Leh.
It is believed that being the only candidate from Kargil gives Hanifa an edge over the other two candidates. According to local officials, out of about 1,84,000 voters in Ladakh, Kargil has about 95,000 voters, while Leh has about 89,000 voters. Are.With votes from Leh likely to be divided between Congress's Namgyal and BJP's Tashi Gyalson, Hanif seems to be in favour.
Hanifa told that she is getting support from all social and religious sections of Kargil. His team is also campaigning in Leh district with four-point demands.
The Ladakh seat was given to the Congress under the seat-sharing arrangement of the India Bloc. Namgyal, leader of the opposition in the Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council, was announced as their candidate. The entire NC unit in Kargil resigned citing pressure to support the Congress candidate. The local unit of Congress is also supporting Hanifa.
“We were hoping that Congress would give a chance to a candidate from Kargi this time.We had decided that we will field a candidate from NC."
"I was already declared a candidate. Unfortunately the decision went in favor of Leh," Hanifa said in an interview. He said that under the India Bloc's seat-sharing agreement, the Ladakh seat was given to the Congress. The Kargil unit of NC was under pressure to support the Congress candidate."We said that entire Kargil is united. The entire Kargil unit of NC has resigned," he said.
Hanifa said supporting the opposition party's candidate from Leh could have worked in favor of the BJP. "It was not possible to support the candidate from Leh at the grassroots level. It would not have meant the victory of the BJP or any other independent candidate," he said. Would rise.,
In his rallies in Kargil, 'Ittehad' or unity is the key word as all socio political and religious groups are supporting him under the banner of Ladakh Democratic Alliance (LDA).
For Hanifa, the focus is on four demands being raised by the Ladakhis – safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, statehood, which entails reservation and a separate Public Service Commission. Two separate Lok Sabha seats of Kargil and Leh are also on his agenda. He said that the status of Union Territory to Ladakh was basically the demand of the people of Leh. The people of Kargil wanted to live with Jammu and Kashmir but in today's scenario the people of Kargil are also unanimous in their demands."This is the first time in history that Kargil and Leh are fighting unitedly on something. We have protested at Janata Mantar in Leh, Kargil, Jammu and Delhi. Unfortunately, in the last five years, the elected MP has not raised any issue Did not raise the issue of Ladakh.
Hanifa was referring to outgoing Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, in whose place Gyalson was made the BJP candidate from the constituency in the Lok Sabha elections. Hanifa said, “Maybe he was under some pressure from his party.He became the representative of the party and not the people of Ladakh. He kept trying to please his leaders by talking about Kashmir and not about the people of Ladakh."
"If he (Jamiang Tsering Namgyal) had been the representative of Ladakh, he would have acted as a bridge between the government and the people. Our message might have reached the leadership," he said.
Hanifa claimed that despite regional divisions, all communities in Kargil are supporting him.His team is also campaigning in Leh, where a prominent religious body, the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), has said the focus is on their demands for security measures and democracy. "Earlier the division was on regional and religious lines. But today Buddhists, Christians and Sikhs, we are all united on the issue of Ladakh."
“The LBA president also said that we will support candidates who are secular and speak for the interests of Ladakh.This is why we are able to campaign openly in Leh also. Many Buddhist brothers called me and welcomed me that I am contesting the elections. “I have four demands,” he said.
Hanifa stressed that the implementation of both statehood and the Sixth Schedule is extremely important to protect the local culture, identity and interests of the people, especially when it comes to employment. He said, "The area of Ladakh is very large. But the population is very less.If a large number of outsiders come here, we will be destroyed."
Voting will be held in Ladakh, which has the distinction of being India's largest constituency in terms of area, on May 20. Lok Sabha elections are being held here for the first time after the removal of Article 370 from the division of the erstwhile state of Jammu. and Kashmir which paved the way for Ladakh to become a Union Territory but without a legislature.
Hanifa, who was the National Conference (NC) leader until recently, left the party along with the entire Kargil unit to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Ladakh. While he is from Kargil, India Bloc's Tsering Namgyal and BJP's Tash Gyalson are from Leh.
It is believed that being the only candidate from Kargil gives Hanifa an edge over the other two candidates. According to local officials, out of about 1,84,000 voters in Ladakh, Kargil has about 95,000 voters, while Leh has about 89,000 voters. Are.With votes from Leh likely to be divided between Congress's Namgyal and BJP's Tashi Gyalson, Hanif seems to be in favour.
Hanifa told that she is getting support from all social and religious sections of Kargil. His team is also campaigning in Leh district with four-point demands.
The Ladakh seat was given to the Congress under the seat-sharing arrangement of the India Bloc. Namgyal, leader of the opposition in the Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council, was announced as their candidate. The entire NC unit in Kargil resigned citing pressure to support the Congress candidate. The local unit of Congress is also supporting Hanifa.
“We were hoping that Congress would give a chance to a candidate from Kargi this time.We had decided that we will field a candidate from NC."
"I was already declared a candidate. Unfortunately the decision went in favor of Leh," Hanifa said in an interview. He said that under the India Bloc's seat-sharing agreement, the Ladakh seat was given to the Congress. The Kargil unit of NC was under pressure to support the Congress candidate."We said that entire Kargil is united. The entire Kargil unit of NC has resigned," he said.
Hanifa said supporting the opposition party's candidate from Leh could have worked in favor of the BJP. "It was not possible to support the candidate from Leh at the grassroots level. It would not have meant the victory of the BJP or any other independent candidate," he said. Would rise.,
In his rallies in Kargil, 'Ittehad' or unity is the key word as all socio political and religious groups are supporting him under the banner of Ladakh Democratic Alliance (LDA).
For Hanifa, the focus is on four demands being raised by the Ladakhis – safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, statehood, which entails reservation and a separate Public Service Commission. Two separate Lok Sabha seats of Kargil and Leh are also on his agenda. He said that the status of Union Territory to Ladakh was basically the demand of the people of Leh. The people of Kargil wanted to live with Jammu and Kashmir but in today's scenario the people of Kargil are also unanimous in their demands."This is the first time in history that Kargil and Leh are fighting unitedly on something. We have protested at Janata Mantar in Leh, Kargil, Jammu and Delhi. Unfortunately, in the last five years, the elected MP has not raised any issue Did not raise the issue of Ladakh.
Hanifa was referring to outgoing Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, in whose place Gyalson was made the BJP candidate from the constituency in the Lok Sabha elections. Hanifa said, “Maybe he was under some pressure from his party.He became the representative of the party and not the people of Ladakh. He kept trying to please his leaders by talking about Kashmir and not about the people of Ladakh."
"If he (Jamiang Tsering Namgyal) had been the representative of Ladakh, he would have acted as a bridge between the government and the people. Our message might have reached the leadership," he said.
Hanifa claimed that despite regional divisions, all communities in Kargil are supporting him.His team is also campaigning in Leh, where a prominent religious body, the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), has said the focus is on their demands for security measures and democracy. "Earlier the division was on regional and religious lines. But today Buddhists, Christians and Sikhs, we are all united on the issue of Ladakh."
“The LBA president also said that we will support candidates who are secular and speak for the interests of Ladakh.This is why we are able to campaign openly in Leh also. Many Buddhist brothers called me and welcomed me that I am contesting the elections. “I have four demands,” he said.
Hanifa stressed that the implementation of both statehood and the Sixth Schedule is extremely important to protect the local culture, identity and interests of the people, especially when it comes to employment. He said, "The area of Ladakh is very large. But the population is very less.If a large number of outsiders come here, we will be destroyed."
Voting will be held in Ladakh, which has the distinction of being India's largest constituency in terms of area, on May 20. Lok Sabha elections are being held here for the first time after the removal of Article 370 from the division of the erstwhile state of Jammu. and Kashmir which paved the way for Ladakh to become a Union Territory but without a legislature.
