Rift widening between Kashmir, Jammu BJP units

Srinagar, Aug 9: The gap between the Kashmir and Jammu units of Bhartiya Janta Party is widening with each passing day and a section of party leadership from Kashmir are threatening resignation if their demands are not met.

The Kashmir unit of BJP allege that leadership from Jammu are hijacking their events in Kashmir. Dozens of leaders on Tuesday met in a Srinagar hotel on Wednesday to show annoyance with the top leadership of the party.

The rift has taken place amid BJP tries to increase it’s base in Kashmir and had opened offices in every district of Kashmir. Though party has never won any assembly seat from Kashmir, however some party leaders won the BDC, DDC, panchayat and local body elections giving party some foothold in the Valley.

The party leadership has been eyeing some seats in the assembly polls, however with the fresh divisions the party will face trouble in upcoming panchayat and local body polls scheduled for October and November this year.

“We are over hundred leaders and we met here at hotel here in connection with tringa yatra and other things,” BJP vice president and former legislator, Sufi Yusuf who was part of the meeting of disgruntled leaders told Greater Kashmir.

He said that they have put demands before BJP General Secretary (Org) Ashok Kaul a fortnight ago. “So far there is no satisfactory redressal,” he said adding that incase their demands are not met they might the BJP senior leaders in New Delhi.

Manzoor Bhat, who is handling media in Kashmir said that they have given lot of sacrifices for the party when nobody dared to join the party. “ We took risk and contested election on the BJP symbol. Now leaders from outside are dictating terms to us which is unacceptable to us,” he said adding that disgruntled leaders included DDC, Sarpanch and others.

Bhat said that the leaders who attended the meeting on Wednesday included office bearers, Sarpanchs, BDC members, district presidents.

The disgruntled leaders have threatened resignation, however, so far not a single leader or worker has resigned from the party.

BJP Chief Spokesperson Sunil Sethi said that grievance can be resolved within party. He downplayed the developments. “There might be grievance and BJP JK Unit president will look into that at an earliest,” he adding that things are on right track. “There might be issues and remedy is also there handy.”