In a dramatic turn of events, the Kargil unit of the National Conference (NC) has submitted a mass resignation letter, citing pressure from the party's high command to support the Congress candidate for the Ladakh constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
According to the resignation letter, the Kargil unit expressed its refusal to endorse the Congress candidate and instead announced its support for Mohammad Haneefa Jan as an independent candidate, under the Ladakh Democratic Alliance. The decision to project Jan as a joint candidate was made unanimously by various political and religious institutions, transcending party and religious affiliations.
The letter further elaborated on the dissatisfaction with the party high command's directives, stating that they were being pressured to act against the interests of the people of Ladakh. As a result, the members of the Kargil unit felt compelled to resign en masse from all party positions, including their primary membership in the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference.
"The party high command is pressurising us (both telephonically as well on social media) to support the official candidate of INC from Ladakh which is unacceptable to us including J&K NC and INC Unit Kargil," the letter stated. The Congress party has nominated Tsering Namgyal as its candidate from Ladakh.
"In this connection, as the party insists us to act against the interest of the people of Ladakh, so we are compelled to resign in masses from all party functionaries including the undersigned from the party post. This letter may be considered as a mass resignation of all party functionaries from the primary membership of J&K National Conference," the letter further stated.
Qamar Ali Akhoon reiterated stance
Qamar Ali Akhoon, the Additional General Secretary of the NC Kargil Unit, reiterated this stance while talking to ANI, emphasising the unit's refusal to support the official Congress candidate and reaffirming their decision to resign in protest.
The resignation comes amidst preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Ladakh, scheduled for May 20, with vote counting set for June 4. The BJP, which emerged victorious in Ladakh in the 2019 elections, has announced Tashi Gyalson as its candidate, replacing the current MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal.
(With ANI Inputs)
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