Jammu: 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 constituency alleging that he 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 another senior party leader Chander Mohan Sharma submitted his papers as an independent candidate from the Jammu East constituency after the ticket was given to Yudhvir Sethi.
Two BJP rebel candidates have already jumped the fray from Ramban and Padder-Nagseni constituencies in Chenab Valley.
Meanwhile, several bigwigs of Congress and BJP submitted their nomination papers in Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua and Samba districts and held massive road shows and rallies.
The 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 constituency, 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.
“BJP is capable enough to get 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 given to Member Parliament Engineer Rashid to campaign in assembly polls, he said, “There is no problem as anyone can join the fray.”
On PDP and NC allegations that most of the smaller parties and independent candidates are backed by 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 fight elections from Ganderbal and Budgam seats this time.
Polling will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1, while the counting of the votes will be undertaken on October 8.
