BJP leader Chander Mohan Sharma breaks ranks and declares independent candidate in Jammu East

Amid growing unrest within the BJP over ticket allocation for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, senior BJP politician Chander Mohan Sharma on Wednesday declared his intention to contest as an independent candidate in Jammu East.

There has been considerable discontent within the ranks of the BJP. In several districts of the Jammu region, party leaders and workers protested against the party's procedure for distributing electoral lists.

Sharma, the chairman of Tawi Andolan, announced his decision, saying, “On the request of the people of my constituency, I have decided to contest the assembly elections as an independent candidate from Jammu East constituency. The BJP has not done justice to its leaders and workers.” Sharma visited several areas to gauge public opinion on his candidature and reported widespread support.

He also expressed dissatisfaction with the BJP's alleged exclusion of senior politicians in the election distribution, which led to his resignation from the party he joined in the early 1970s. Sharma, a professional lawyer, will now challenge the BJP's official candidate Yudhir Sethi in a constituency that has been a BJP stronghold since 1987.

(With contributions from agencies.)