J-K Assembly polls: Rebel BJP leader files nomination from Udhampur East

Jammu and Kashmir BJP vice-president Pawan Khajuria filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate from Udhampur East Assembly segment on Wednesday, amid brewing unrest in the party over the distribution of tickets.

Khajuria submitted his nomination papers at the end of his two-day ultimatum to the party leadership to change the official candidate and former MLA R.S. Pathania from the segment, alleging that Pathania had campaigned against the party during Lok Sabha polls.

"I have served the party for 35 years and preferred it over everything else. The workers got dejected after the party decided to give the mandate to a person who indulged in anti-party activities, so I responded to the call of the workers and jumped into the fray," Khajuria said.

He expressed confidence of winning the seat with the blessings of his supporters. “We have surrendered before the party but it carried out a political murder. The blessings of the people are with me and I am reborn today,” he said.

The filing of nomination papers by Khajuria comes a day after fellow senior party leader Chander Mohan Sharma submitted his papers as an independent candidate from the Jammu East segment after the ticket was given to Yudhvir Sethi.

Two BJP rebel candidates have already jumped into the fray from the Ramban and Padder-Nagseni segments in Chenab Valley. Meanwhile, several Congress and BJP bigwigs submitted their nomination papers in Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua and Samba districts and held massive road shows and rallies.

Prominent among those who filed their papers include Pradesh Congress Committee working president Raman Bhalla from R.S. Pura-Jammu south, former minister Yogesh Sawhney from Jammu East, former minister Mula Ram from Marh, former minister Yashpaul Kundal from Ramgarh, DDC member Taranjit Singh Tony from Bahu, BJP’s former minister Chander Prakash Ganga from Vijaypur and former minister Rajiv Jasrotia from Jasrota.

BJP’s Vikram Randhawa from Bahu, DPAP’s leader Gourav Chopra from Jammu West and National Conference’s Rajesh Pargotra from Vijaypur also filed their papers. "The BJP is capable enough of getting a majority on its own to form the next government,” Union minister Jitendra Singh told reporters as he joined the roadshow for Jasrotia in Kathua district.

Asked about the bail granted to recently-elected MP Engineer Rashid to campaign for the Assembly polls, he said, “There is no problem as anyone can join the fray.”

On PDP and NC allegations that most smaller parties and independent candidates are backed by the BJP in Kashmir, he said such statements from the opposition are indicative of their defeat in the upcoming polls. “Someone leaving his seat to fight from another seat means that he lacks self-confidence and fighting from two seats instead of one seat means that there is a further dip in his confidence.

"When someone is making such statements like EVM is faulty, it is basically preparing an explanation for their defeat,” he said, apparently referring to former chief minister Omar Abdullah, who left his Beerwah seat to contest from Ganderbal and Budgam this time.

Polling will be held in three phases on 18 and 25 September and 1 October, while the counting of votes will be undertaken on 8 October.