Jammu: The BJP, which was hoping to capitalise on the Centre’s decision granting reservation to Gujjars and Paharis in the Pir Panchal region, failed to make much impact in eight assembly constituencies in the border region covering Rajouri and Poonch districts.
The party managed to win only Hindu-majority Kalakote seat in Rajouri district, one seat less than its 2014 assembly election tally.
The National Conference-Congress alliance won five of the eight assembly seats in the region, dealing a significant blow to the BJP’s election ambitions.
The Pir Panchal region has long been a stronghold of the National Conference.
Despite securing 201,351 votes in the Pir Panchal region, the BJP got just one seat, while the NC-Congress alliance garnered 233,477 votes and five seats.
The BJP had fielded five Gujjar candidates and a Pahari candidate across the Rajouri-Poonch belt.
“Although we could win only one seat in Rajouri and Poonch districts, people voted for us. There was a time when no candidates were ready to contest elections for us, but today our nominees garnered significant votes. We thank the voters of the belt,” J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina said.
Out of the eight seats in Pir Panchal, five were reserved for STs, and the BJP fielded five Gujjar-Pahari candidates in key constituencies such as Thanamandi, Budhal, Poonch, Surankote, and Mendhar.
However, the results were disappointing for the BJP as it lost key seats like Nowshera, Thanamandi, Budhal, Rajouri, Mendhar, Poonch, and Surankote.
The NC won four seats, including Mendhar, Poonch, Budhal, and Nowshera, while the Congress secured one seat in Rajouri. The PDP, which had won three seats in the region in 2014 elections, failed to open its account this time.
In Budhal, NC’s Javaid Iqbal defeated BJP candidate and former minister Choudhary Zulfikar Ali by a margin of 18,908 votes. Similarly, BJP’s Ravinder Raina lost to NC’s Surinder Choudhary in Nowshera.
BJP candidates Vibod Kumar and Iqbal Malik also lost their respective contests in Rajouri and Thanamandi to Congress’ Iftikar Ahmed and independent candidate Muzaffar Iqbal Khan.
BJP candidates Murtaza Khan, Choudhary Abdul Ghani, and Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari were defeated by NC candidates Javed Rana, Ajay Ahmed Jan, and independent candidate Choudhary Mohammad Akram in Mendhar, Poonch, and Surankote.
The BJP has attributed its loss to polarization allegedly created by NC leaders during the campaign.
BJP fails to make impact in Pir Panchal region
