For the last one week, Amit Khandari, Independent candidate from Ward Number 10 of the Poonch Municipal Committee, is moving from pillar to post to get security but to no avail. He alleges that his request is being ignored as he dared to contest election as a rebel against BJP’s official candidate.
“By abusing power, the local BJP leadership has mounted pressure on the administration against giving security to party leaders who dared to contest as rebels,” Khandari told Kashmir Post.
He said, “I have brought this matter to the notice of the Chief Electoral Officer of the state but no action has been taken so far.”
Associated with the BJP from the days of Jan Sangh, Khandari had expressed desire to contest civic body elections. After being denied party ticket, Khandari is fighting election as an Independent candidate. “After their failure to pressurise me to withdraw my candidature, BJP leaders are now abusing the state apparatus to terrorise me,” he alleged adding that his family was receiving threat calls on phone. He said the state administration had promised to provide adequate security to those who contest elections.
Similar is the story of Madhumeet Kour, another BJP rebel contesting from Ward Number 11 of the Poonch Municipal Committee. Kour, wife of veteran BJP leader Satish Sasan, alleged that local BJP leaders with the connivance of the authorities were trying to terrorise those who had dared to contest against party candidates. “Fearing that their official candidates would lose, BJP leaders are shamelessly indulging in deceitful tactics to especially terrorise rebel candidates,” she said.
The Poonch Municipal Committee is not an isolated case, the BJP leadership is allegedly adopting tactics to pressurise rebel candidates at many places. Fearing that rebels would spoil pitch for party’s official nominees, the BJP is allegedly adopting all means to minimise the impact of rebels.
Sources said two days back, a meeting of senior BJP leaders was held to review the ongoing campaign. “Most of the leaders were worried about the large number of Independent candidates who have potential to spoil prospects of the party’s official candidates,” a source said.
