The Congress is facing infighting in Ladakh but that is likely to turn into a blessing in disguise for the INDIA bloc.
The Congress in Leh on Thursday fielded Tsering Namgyal, a Buddhist, for the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat, a day after the party in Kargil backed the nomination of Haji Mohammad Hanifa Jan, the Kargil district president of ally National Conference (NC).
Leh and Kargil are the two districts of Ladakh. Buddhists are a majority in Leh and Muslims in Kargil but the latter enjoy a slender majority in the Union Territory.
The BJP has fielded Tashi Gyalson, a Buddhist from Leh, replacing sitting MP Jamyang Namgyal, who is supposedly miffed with the party for allegedly sidelining him.
Sources said the infighting in the BJP and the fielding of two Buddhist candidates, one from the Congress and the other from the BJP, is likely to split the community’s votes.
“On the contrary, Muslims might consolidate behind the joint candidate fielded by the NC and the Congress in Kargil,” a source said.
Taking potshots at Kargil Congress leaders for supporting the NC candidate, Ladakh Congress chief Ringzin Jora said Tsering Namgyal was the official candidate of the Congress.
“There has always been a tug-of-war (between the Leh and Kargil Congress, as a Buddhist from Leh usually bagged the mandate). I believe a Congress candidate from Kargil this time had a better chance of winning and the Leh Congress would have supported that,” Jora told The Telegraph.