From September 10, 2025, environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk started a hunger strike from September 10, 2025, demanding full state status to Ladakh. On Wednesday (September 24, 2025), students and local people raised their voice against the Center against not fulfilling their previous demands in Leh, which took the form of violence. The protesters set fire to the BJP office and CRPF car.
Let me tell you that there was a big upset in the politics of Ladakh in the year 2024, when Independent candidate Mohammad Hanifa Jaan won both BJP and Congress in the Lok Sabha elections. This only seat of Ladakh has now come out of the BJP’s hand and this is also raising questions on the local leadership of the party.
BJP changed candidate in the year 2024
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s command in Ladakh is in the hands of the French Stanzin, who was appointed the President of the BJP Ladakh Unit in 2022. He was considered a strategic face, especially after becoming a Union Territory, his claim to strengthen the party in Ladakh was being called strong.
However, the party did not make him a candidate for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, but gave ticket to Tashi Gyalson. The public completely rejected the BJP’s decision and won the independent candidate Mohammad Hanifa Jaan by a huge vote.
Where are Tsering Namgyal?
Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, who became MP on a BJP ticket in 2019 and became the ‘poster boy’ of the party due to his fiery speeches, this time he was completely out of the electoral scenario. The BJP did not give him a ticket in the year 2024 and put a new face in his place, which made the BJP disappointed.
After this, Namgyal left the BJP and held the hand of the Congress and the Congress fielded him as a candidate in the election in 2024, but his political stature was not as impressive as before and he was second in the election. However, his supporters also saw resentment about the ticket being cut from BJP.
What was the reason for BJP’s defeat in Ladakh?
For BJP, the defeat in Ladakh in 2024 was more than losing only one seat. It was an indication that after 2019, the way Ladakh was made a union territory and the status of special state was taken away, the party did not take seriously the dissatisfaction. Changes in local leadership (eg stanzine instead of Namgyal) could not win the trust of voters.
Mohammad Hanifa Jaan, a social worker and already an active face in the local politics of Ladakh. He left behind both the BJP and the Congress, winning the hearts of the voters of Ladakh. Their victory indicates that the people of Ladakh are now giving priority to local leadership and issues.
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