Jammu, Sep 03 (KNO): Since the Congress party has announced the second list of candidates for the six constituencies for the second phase of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, there is a revolt like situation on Shri Mata Vaishno Devi seat where a leader from schedule caste community has been ignored and the mandate has been given to one Bhupinder Jamwal.
Most of the leaders were expecting the mandate for former minister and two-time MLA Babu Jagjivan Lal. Lal is also a district development councilor (DDC) from Reasi.
As per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Jagjivan Lal’s late father Comrade Mansukh Rai was also a three-time MLA from Reasi and the family has a strong base among people.
Some Congress party leaders told KNO that due to some internal fight in the party, a senior leader pressurized the screening committee and managed to cut Lal’s name from the list and handed over the mandate to Jamwal.
“Jagjivan Lal and his family have a history of public service and they have been following secular, socialistic and Ambedker traditions throughout their lives. They have opened a trust in the heart of Reasi town on a 20 kanal piece of land where regular seminars and functions are held,” said a leader.
“After the delimitation of the Assembly constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir, Reasi constituency was divided into two parts, Reasi and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi. The latter seat has over 26 percent vote share of scheduled caste population and over 16 votes are from Scheduled Tribe (ST) community. Lal coming from SC community has a strong hold among his own people and also enjoys a good reputation among ST population as well,” he said.
“If he is given the mandate, we will win this seat and repeat Ayodhya performance which INDIA bloc won during parliamentary elections,” the leader said.
Since this decision of the screening committee, some senior Congress leaders have raised this issue with the party high command and are asking for change of mandate if the party wants to win this seat. They were of the opinion that Lal was inducted into the party with an assurance of getting mandate from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi seat—(KNO)