National Conference’s Kargil unit resigns over pressure to support Congress candidate

The Kargil unit of National Conference resigned en masse on Monday, in protest against the whip to support the Congress candidate from the Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency.

As part of the INDIA bloc seat-sharing agreement, the Congress will contest from Ladakh, Jammu and Udhampur, while the NC fields candidates from the three seats in the Valley.

NC’s Kargil district president, Haji Hanifa Jan, decided to go against the party decision and filed his nomination as an independent candidate.

On Monday afternoon, NC president Farooq Abdullah issued a directive to the Kargil unit to support the INDIA candidate, T Namgyal.

However, by evening, the entire Kargil unit of NC resigned.

In a press conference held in Kargil, NC leader Qamar Ali Akhoon said the party functionaries have decided to support Hanifa Jan in the Parliamentary elections.

In a letter to party Abdullah, Akhoon said, “As the party insists us to act against the interest of the people of Ladakh, so we are compelled to resign en masse… This letter may be considered as mass resignation of all party functionaries from the primary membership of J&K National Conference.”

Namgyal and Hanifa are up against BJP’s Tashi Gyalson in the fifth phase of polls on May 20.

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