‘Neglected’ Jammu erupts in joy

Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 19

Residents of the Jammu region are happy over the BJP’s decision of withdrawing from the alliance in the state.

The people of the region celebrated in 2014 when the BJP came into power with the hope that the party, having its total base in Jammu, will rise to their expectations. They hoped that the party would bring justice, development, employment and empowerment to the people of the region, but it failed to do so.

“Soon after the party came to power, things changed. BJP leaders who were easily accessible to all started ignoring the public and even limited their association with co-workers,” said Virendra Gupta, a BJP supporter from Ward No. 8 in Jammu west constituency held by former HUD Minister Satpal Sharma. Locals said it was their desire to see the state BJP lose its hold in the state, either to pave way for another dispensation or the Governor’s Rule for which they expressed their satisfaction.

“The Governor’s Rule in the state have always proved far better than the popular governments, particularly for the Jammu region. Even the earlier dispensations have been obsessed with Kashmir and neglected the Jammu and Ladakh regions. We had huge expectations from the BJP, but it proved to be the worst party for Jammu,” said Sonam Sharma, a local.