In his resignation letter addressed to BJP Nubra District President Tsering Sandup, Tashi said his decision followed considerable thought and introspection, adding that he now wished to follow his own convictions and engage with public issues with an independent conscience.
Sandup, who joined the BJP in 2018, said his political journey began after he was introduced to the party by Tsetan Namgyal, then Mandal President of Diskit. He said his initial curiosity about politics and public life gradually developed into active political involvement.
He became part of the BJP’s campaign team during the 2019 Parliamentary elections. In 2020, when Nubra was constituted as a separate organisational district under the initiative of Ashok Kaul, then BJP Ladakh General Secretary (Organisation), Sandup joined its first executive body as Media Secretary.
During the 2020 Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) elections, he was entrusted with coordinating and anchoring campaign activities alongside senior party leaders. He was subsequently appointed District General Secretary following the resignation of Tshering Norphel.
Sandup acknowledged the guidance of several senior leaders during his political journey, including former Member of Parliament Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, former LAHDC Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) Advocate Tashi Gyalson and Stanzin Dalaik.
He also referred to his brief association of around three months with LAHDC Deputy Chairman Tsering Angchuk, saying it provided him an opportunity to understand governance and gain a closer insight into Ladakh’s political situation.
Thanking the district president for reposing confidence in him during the 2025 district executive reshuffle, Sandup said he had been personally requested to continue as General Secretary for another term. He maintained that he had discharged his responsibilities with sincerity, commitment and loyalty, without expecting personal benefits or privileges.
He also acknowledged remaining away from active party activities for around a year before recently resuming his responsibilities, saying the period gave him an opportunity to reflect on his political journey and future direction.
Clarifying his decision, Sandup said his resignation did not mean withdrawing from public life or from the concerns of the people.
“My intention is not to withdraw from public life or from the concerns of my people,” he wrote, adding that he wanted to become a voice for the general public of his constituency, whose concerns and representation had, in his view, remained inadequately heard for many years.
He said he wanted to engage with public issues independently, speak freely and stand for ordinary people without organisational considerations or party affiliations.
Sandup also requested the district president not to include his name in any forthcoming party executive list or organisational designation. He specifically asked that he not be considered for the forthcoming LAHDC councillors’ candidate mandate list or any party candidature or nomination.
“If I continue to serve in the public sphere, I wish to do so independently and on my own terms, guided by the concerns and aspirations of the people rather than under any BJP banner,” he said.
Concluding his letter, Sandup said he valued the friendships, experiences and lessons gained during his association with the BJP and wished the organisation and its members well.
