SRINAGAR: In a surprising turn of events, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has opted to replace its sitting Member of Parliament (MP) Jamyang Tsering Namgyal with Tashi Gyalson as its candidate for the upcoming Ladakh Lok Sabha election. This decision comes after the party faced criticism for its handling of the prolonged agitation in support of granting Ladakh the Sixth Schedule status.
Tsering Namgyal has played a major role in celebrating the abrogation of Article 370 within and outside the parliament. At one point in time, his Lok Sabha speeches were the most viral content in India. Five years later, he has been replaced by the party. He was campaigning for the party in Sikim when the decision came, reports in the media suggest.
Tashi Gyalson, the current chairman of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) in Leh, has been chosen as the party’s nominee. Gyalson holds the status of a cabinet minister, adding weight to his candidacy.
The agitation for Sixth Schedule status, primarily led by the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), has garnered significant momentum, especially among the Buddhist majority in Leh and the Shia Muslims in Kargil. The BJP government’s refusal to grant this status has fueled discontent among these communities.
The decision to replace Namgyal, a young and previously acclaimed MP, has caught many within the party off guard. However, according to a senior party member, the BJP’s central leadership expressed dissatisfaction with Namgyal’s handling of the agitation and perceived failure to counter it effectively.
Expressing his dismay over being denied the BJP ticket, Namgyal took to social media to voice his concerns. He highlighted the lack of transparent justification for his replacement and emphasized his commitment to the people of Ladakh.
The upcoming election in Ladakh, scheduled for the fifth phase on May 20, holds significant importance as the region constitutes a single Lok Sabha seat. In the previous 2019 election, Namgyal secured victory against independent candidate Sajad Hussain by a margin of 10,930 votes.
Meanwhile, the Congress, part of the INDIA bloc, is yet to announce its candidate for the Ladakh constituency.
Namgyal gained prominence in 2019 for his impassioned speech in the Lok Sabha defending the Modi government’s decision to revoke Article 370 and establish Ladakh as a separate Union Territory. His speech received accolades from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders for his stance on the matter.
