Tsering Namgyal, the Leader of the Opposition in LAHDC, Leh, was declared the Congress's candidate for the Lok Sabha election from Ladakh late Wednesday, according to former minister and senior Congress leader Rigzin Jora.
Earlier in the day, local Kargil Congress and National Conference (NC) officials announced Haji Hanifa Jan as their candidate for the Ladakh seat.
However, Jora told the reporters that the Kargil section of Congress and NC proclaimed Haji Hanifa Jan's name to put pressure on the party.
"Ladakh was meant to join the Congress as part of the INDIA bloc, and Haji is a leader of the NC. Congress cannot support an NC leader even when we are in an alliance," Jora said.
Earlier, NC and Congress leaders from Kargil held several rounds of meetings, and consensus was formed on the name of the former Chief Executive Councillor of LAHDC, Kargil, and Haji Hanifa Jan, who is also a senior district leader of NC.
During a media conference, the Executive Councillor of LAHDC, Kargil Kacho Mohammad Feroz, said the media had speculated extensively about the candidate from the INDIA Bloc.
"All parties, including top leaders of Congress and the NC, decided on a series of talks in which the interests of Leh and Kargil were considered and a consensus was achieved.
"Haji Hanifa Jan will be our candidate for the Congress mandate," said Kacho Mohammad Feroz.
He added that senior Ladakh Congress leaders had been to Delhi to persuade the national leadership of the decision.
The party's senior command has opted to field Namgyal, which might spark a fight. However, because Jan is more well-known, the local stakeholders in Kargil chose his name.
Meanwhile, Tashi Gyalson, the BJP's candidate for the next elections, filed his candidature in Leh on Wednesday. After filing the nomination, Gyalson stated that many people supported him and had come to file the nomination.
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