Jammu, September 1, (Buzzbytes) – Jammu, a region once considered a stronghold of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), is witnessing a brewing sense of discontent among certain lesser-known organizations. These groups, acting as pressure groups and influencers for political parties, have raised concerns over the BJP’s current popularity in the region and its handling of key issues.
Local body polls in Jammu, they believe, might be postponed due to the BJP’s perceived lack of popularity. Among the pressing concerns voiced by the people of Jammu are ‘Smart Meters,’ ‘Toll Plaza,’ and ‘Property Tax.’
Amit Kapoor, the President of ‘Dogra Welfare Sanghatan’ in Jammu, has been at the forefront of protests against the installation of Smart Meters. He argues that the BJP is diverting attention from critical issues such as jobs and inflation by focusing on the toll plaza matter, which affects only a small portion of the population.
“Once the Express Way is completed, the toll plaza will naturally disappear. BJP is utilizing certain organizations and unions to spotlight the toll plaza issue, knowing it will eventually be resolved. This seems like an attempt to gain political credit,” he remarked.
Kapoor acknowledges that some individuals from the ‘Yuva Rajput Sabha’ are genuinely concerned, but he suspects that many are backed by the BJP. He believes that the BJP aims to promote new faces, similar to its strategy during the 2008 Amarnath agitation, to secure assembly election tickets. He asserts that concentrating solely on the toll plaza issue is an effort to deceive the public and make way for fresh party candidates.
Kapoor, who claims to be apolitical, predicts that the people of Jammu will not vote along religious lines this time. He suggests that the BJP cannot fool Jammu residents any longer, as they have discerned the party’s tactics and are eager for the removal of Smart Meters.
“Jammu’s residents now comprehend the significance of Article 370. We have lost a lot, and it is widely known that those awarded contracts for smart meters are relatives of BJP politicians,” Kapoor added.
Responding to a query, Amit Kapoor remarked that BJP politicians are currently in hiding, recognizing the mood of the people. He predicts that local body polls will be postponed, as the BJP is unlikely to secure a single seat.
Kapoor suggests that the transporter strike over the toll plaza issue is part of a larger conspiracy to overshadow the Smart Meter problem.
Another prominent Dogra leader, Sunny Kant Chib, whose viral video challenges the BJP to hold Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, believes that the people of Jammu will take to the streets to restore the status of the Dogra state of Jammu and Kashmir. He commends the role of Kashmiris in defending Article 370.
Sunil Dimple, Chairman of the Statehood Mission, highlights the growing anger among Jammu’s people. He decries the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir as “constitutional murder,” insisting that the people of the erstwhile state were not adequately consulted by the BJP-led Central Government.
Efforts to contact BJP Jammu Kashmir President Ravinder Raina were unsuccessful, but former Speaker Kavinder Gupta emphasized that the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir is currently being run by bureaucracy. He called for government clarification on Smart Meter installations and investigations into high electricity bills where necessary.
