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Leh council polls: ‘People trust BJP, they support us,’ says Kiren Rijiju
The sixth council elections will be held on October 22. Rijiju reached Leh on Sunday to campaign for party candidates.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday exuded confidence of BJP’s smooth sailing in the ensuing elections to the 30-member Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) of Leh.
The sixth council elections will be held on October 22. Rijiju reached Leh on Sunday to campaign for party candidates.
“Elections are an indispensable part of democracy and Leh council is going to polls on October 22. People in Leh trust BJP and they want to support us because under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi various developmental works have been taken up. From making Ladakh a UT to speedy development of the region, these works should not stop,” he told media persons in Leh.
Congress campaign is being led by its leader and former minister Nawang Rigzin Jora. A local said that nothing can be said as of now and both the arch-rivals appear neck to neck in the race.
“There was resentment among the people of Leh against the BJP government for not providing us safeguards under the sixth schedule of the Constitution but then home minister Amit Sham promised a delegation of Apex Body of People’s Movement (ABPM), led by Thupstan Chhewang, that the same will be extended to us. So, how voters react to the verbal promise will be seen in the ensuing elections,” he said.
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On October 7, Union minister Anurag Thakur had said that people of Leh will get much more than sixth schedule only because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Thakur had assured them that land, culture, ethnic values and everything shall be safeguarded. The Leh Council has 30 seats with a provision for nominating four members; 26 get elected via votes.
On September 28, former BJP minister and ex-president of the Ladakh unit, Chering Dorjay, had cautioned the Centre of a sustained campaign in case the apex body was hoodwinked.
Apex body of People’s Movement - an apolitical body comprising former BJP MP Thupstan Chhewang, Dorjay, Thiksay monastery head Rinpoche Nawang Chamba Stanzin and former minister Nawang Rigzin Jora - has been demanding constitutional safeguards under the sixth schedule of the Constitution to Ladakh on the lines of north-eastern states having constitutional safeguards under the sixth schedule.
The umbrella group includes political parties and religious organizations and all-powerful Leh-based Ladakh Buddhist Association.
The safeguards also guarantee more teeth to the two hill development councils of Leh and Kargil with legislative powers.
Following Shah’s assurance, the delegation withdrew its call to boycott the ensuing polls.
Thupstan Chhewang, former BJP MP, had resigned from his post and primary membership of the party in November 2018 for not conferring UT status to Ladakh region and other promises made by the BJP in 2014 general elections.
