It has been precedential that ruling political parties, at the Centre, appoint their party leaders as Governors and Lieutenant Governors. It is either to placate an ageing leader, sideline him or her, or relate it to the political realities at the ground levels in the state or Union Territory (UT) to which the nominee belongs.
Unfortunately, merit, in the form of stature and expertise in matters related to administration and Constitutional nitty-gritty, has been a serious casualty. Using Raj Bhawan as the centre of political machinations by the ruling parties, either to upset the opposition ruled states/UTs or further their political interests, has been the favourite pastime of successive political parties ruling in the Centre. But it has become more pronounced and taken a serious turn by the day. So, the appointment of senior BJP leader of Jammu and Kashmir, a former Speaker of the Assembly and ex-Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Kavinder Gupta, as Lt Governor of Ladakh, is just in line with this culture. Ever since coming into being as a UT, he has been the first politician to be the LG.
To that extent, it is a welcome move given the fact that Ladakh is faced with a public movement for political empowerment and protection of domicile rights. It will be a real test of his prowess at dealing with such a situation, rising above the political interests of the political party to which he once belonged. Will he be able to do it? How much space will the top-heavy Centre grant a middle-rung BJP leader like him to act on the ground? It is difficult to answer these questions straightway for the simple reason that he neither has the stature nor political standing, like his BJP predecessors in J&K such as former Union Minister, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, Mr Rishi Kumar Kaushal or Babu Parmanand, nor proven administrative track record of dealing with high-intensity public/political disputes.
Fact of the matter that he belongs to Jammu region which has during the past decade or so become the BJP’s citadel and mini laboratory of Hindutva, and is currently in the grip of anti-incumbency due to unfulfilled promises, and that he belongs to the Mahajan community, a core of BJP’s support base in the region, makes Mr Gupta’s elevation more interesting.
It seems he has been purposely given command of a neighbouring UT so that it could influence politics in Jammu and Kashmir (read Jammu region). It is also a move aimed at placating the local sentiment and to keep the Hindutva support base intact, and prevent it from going the Congress way.
Since Ladakh is a UT without an Assembly, Mr Gupta’s presence in the Leh Raj Bhawan will accord him the status of a chief minister with no opposition party to contend with. It will be naive if the Centre or he lose sight of Ladakhis’ resilience to fight for their just rights. And it is here that he will be required to prove himself. The resignation of two prominent leaders, Leh Apex Body chairman, Thupstan Chhewang — a former BJP MP with close RSS links — and senior Congress leader, Mr Nawang Rigzin Jora, with the possibility of leadership baton passing on to educationist and innovator, Mr Sonam Wangchuk, has added a new element to the scenario. Both Mr Chhewang and Mr Jora have clarified that they will continue to remain a part of the movement. Perhaps, Mr Gupta’s RSS credentials have led to his passing the muster despite some controversies haunting him. Apart from joining the RSS in his teens, he was also the secretary of the Punjab unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad from 1978 to 1979 before shifting to Jammu and Kashmir.
Recently, the two regions closed their ranks for the greater benefit of Ladakh in view of non-fulfilment of promises by the Centre on promises held out as part of the reorganisation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
If Mr Gupta’s appointment as LG has a direct link to BJP’s electoral politics in the Jammu region of J &K UT, it has also to be seen in close relation to the dwindling political fortunes of the party in Ladakh after the initial euphoria of UT formation had died down.
With Mr Gupta’s appointment, the BJP has once again scored a vital point in the region’s electoral politics, where Congress, its main rival, has not only caved in but refuses to introspect and take remedial steps.
(The writer is Political and National Affairs Analyst)