The lok Janshakti Party (lJP) is trying its luck in Jammu & Kashmir by fielding candidates in several segments. Interestingly, despite being a part of the NDA, the party would go it alone and field candidates against the BJP.
The party has consistently fielded a few candidates including its national Youth president Sanjay Saraf in several elections in the past but the candidates have not been able to gain a recognisable vote share.
lJP chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday said that he had arrived in Srinagar to assess the situation in the wake of Assembly polls. “I came here for assessment as Assembly polls are being held. I held talks with my party cadre. Most party leaders in Jammu & Kashmir want us to fight the Assembly polls,” he said.
“Our party cadre wants Sanjay Saraf to fight from Habbakadal. He has been struggling a lot for Kashmiris. I am taking a report from here and the parliament board will meet tonight and decide over the future course of action,” he said.
Paswan said that his party has alliance with the BJP at the national level only. “Our alliance is at the national level and not state level. Even when we were with the Congress (as part of the UPA), the lJP had fought state elections on its own. Wherever possible, we fight together. We are fighting together in Jharkhand, but as far as Jammu & Kashmir is concerned, our party had talks with BJP president Amit Shah over Habbakadal. BJP might have taken a decision for its own interest. But our party is a separate party and we have keep our interest in mind,” he said.
The lJP was seeking support for Saraf in the Habbakadal constituency but the BJP nominated its own candidate for the segment in Srinagar that has attained significance in the backdrop of a fair share of migrant Pandit voters.
Sources said that People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is also contemplating to field a candidate belonging to Pandit community from Habbakadal.