Chowdhary Talib Hussain, a prominent Gujjar (ST) leader and former BJP MP, has filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections from the Rajouri constituency. This move comes after the BJP decided not to field him as their candidate, a decision that has left Hussain disgruntled with the party leadership.
Hussain, who joined the BJP 12 years ago, was considered a senior Muslim face within the party in Jammu and Kashmir. He had previously contested the 2014 Assembly elections from Rajouri on a BJP ticket but lost.
On Thursday, accompanied by his supporters, Chowdhary Talib Hussain reached the DC office in Rajouri and filed his nomination papers with the Assistant Commissioner Revenue, who is the Returning Officer for the Rajouri Assembly constituency.
In a media interaction, Hussain welcomed the BJP’s decision not to give him the party mandate, terming it the party’s prerogative. However, he expressed disappointment with the approach of the local party leadership, stating that he was not even consulted before the decision was made.
Hussain emphasized that he has always pursued his political journey based on the principles of communal harmony and secularism, and he intends to continue doing so.
The decision by Chowdhary Talib Hussain to contest as an independent candidate has added an interesting twist to the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. His political journey and the reasons behind his decision to part ways with the BJP will undoubtedly be closely watched by political observers and the electorate alike.