SRINAGAR: The BJP is facing a full-blown rebellion in its ranks in Jammu and Kashmir over denial of the party ticket to senior leaders and loyalists in its Jammu stronghold. Chander Mohan Sharma, who was associated with the party for more than five decades, has quit the party. Another senior leader from Vaishno Devi seat in Katra, Rohit Dubey, is set to follow suit. Both are likely to take the Independent route.Former deputy CMs Kavinder Gupta and Nirmal Singh, former J&K party chief Sat Sharma and former MLAs Sukhnandan and Bali Bhagat have not made it to the party list. Other senior hopefuls are replaced with new faces.Party workers have staged protests in Jammu and elsewhere. Sources said the party leaders, who were denied the ticket, are weighing their options. Some leaders are said to be in touch with the Congress while others wait and watch.Chander Mohan Sharma quit on Friday bitterly complaining about the candidate selection. “The selection was not given a serious thought. BJP party workers are unhappy everywhere in the Jammu region,” Sharma said, adding he submitted his resignation to the party leadership. His condition for walking back is he should be given a chance from Jammu East constituency. “Otherwise I will contest as an Independent candidate from that constituency,” Sharma said.Along with him, party’s Yuva Morcha Jammu president and his team also resigned from the party.Another sulking BJP leader, Kashmira Singh, who was denied the ticket from Samba Assembly constituency, has quit the party. He may contest as an Independent. The BJP has given nomination to Surjit Singh Slathia, a former NC leader who joined BJP after Article 370 abrogation. The polls will be held in three phases.No ticketFormer deputy CMs Kavinder Gupta and Nirmal Singh, former J&K party president Sat Sharma and former MLAs Sukhnandan and Bali Bhagat have not made it to the candidates’ list of the BJP. Other seniors were replaced with new faces as well. The leaders who were denied tickets are now weighing their options.
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