The Bharatiya Janata Party has nominated 35-year-old Jamyang Tsering Namgyal as party’s candidate for Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency.
Jamyang, aka JTN, figured in the last list of the party’scandidates along with 11 others from Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh andKarnataka.
Jamyang, elected councillor from Martselang, is the currentchief executive councilor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council,Leh.
He took over in November last year after the former CECDorjey Motup resigned following a mass revolt in Ladakh unit of the BJP over”party’s failure in addressing aspirations of Ladakh”.
The revolt also resulted in BJP’s worst performance in civicelections: it couldn’t win a single seat.
Considered a close confidant of state BJP president RavinderRaina and follower of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Jamyang had worked asprivate secretary to Thupstan Chhewang, the former MP from Ladakh.
BJP made inroads into Ladakh after 2014 Lok Sabha election.Chhewang was the first MP elected on BJP ticket but he resigned last year overBJP’s alleged failure to fulfill 2014 poll promises, including granting ofunion territory status to Ladakh and inclusion of Bhoti language in the EighthSchedule of the Indian Constitution.
After parliamentary elections, BJP had won 18 of 26 seats inthe 2015 LAHDC, Leh, election, but the saffron party’s popularity faded asmembers started quitting one after the other.
Jamyang, who was an active member of the BJYM, the youthwing of the party and state spokesperson and in-charge Ladakh affairs, was sentto Leh by the party high command.
Last year, the governor’s administration granted divisionstatus to Ladakh and announced opening of Ladakh University, but Jamyang facesan uphill task in Ladakh because the Buddhist community is contemplating fieldingan independent candidate against the BJP and Congress.