Ladakh MP-elect Haji Hanifa, accompanied by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (Kargil) Chief Executive Officer Jaffer Akhoon, met NC vice-president Omar Abdullah in New Delhi on Monday.
A former NC leader, Hanifa had left the party to contest the Ladakh Lok Sabha election as an Independent after the NC backed a Buddhist candidate from Leh.
His meeting with Omar has sparked speculations that he might rejoin the NC.
Later in the day, Hanifa met with Agha Mehdi Mehdavipore, the representative of the Supreme Leader of Iran in India. Although the nature of their discussion remains undisclosed.
The meeting is significant because Hanifa, along with the entire Kargil unit of the NC, resigned before the election to protest the party’s decision to support INDIA bloc candidate Tsering Namgyal.
Hanifa defeated the ruling BJP’s Tashi Gyalson and Tsering Namgyal of the INDIA Bloc in the recently held Lok Sabha polls.
Notably, Hanifa was the sole candidate from the Shia Muslim-dominated Kargil region, while the other two major contenders were from Leh.
Following his meetings with Congress leaders, speculation is rife about Hanifa’s political future.
There is considerable buzz that Hanifa might align with the India Bloc, potentially strengthening the opposition’s coalition.
This potential alliance could have significant implications for the political dynamics in Ladakh and beyond.
Ladakhis demand Sixth Schedule status, a separate public service commission, land rights, job guarantees, and separate statehood.
However, there has been a deadlock between the Government of India and the representative bodies of Ladakh over these issues.
Several rounds of talks have been held in Delhi with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the LAB and KDA, yet no significant breakthrough has been achieved in these talks.
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