Everest hero to plant BJP flag

Sonam Paljore has to be the answer to the BJP's prayers in Ladakh. The constituency is mountainous and includes Kargil. He not only scale...

Sonam Paljore has to be the answer to the BJP8217;s prayers in Ladakh. The constituency is mountainous and includes Kargil. He not only scales peaks for a hobby but had a job in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police till he retired. However, as the BJP candidate for the Lok Sabha seat, the first-timer is facing an uphill task.

8220;Climbing Mount Everest was easier as compared to carrying out an election campaign,8221; Paljore admits. A retired ITBP Commandant and a Padma Shree awardee, the avid mountain climber has scaled several peaks, including Mount Everest and Nanda Devi. Among his successful missions was the 1984 joint expedition to Everest which put the first Indian woman, Bachendri Pal, atop the world8217;s highest peak. He has also been in expeditions to Gangotri-I, Remo Glacier and Saser Kangri.

He is progressing on the new trek with the same amount of preparation. The sprawling Ladakh constituency is no easy ground for any candidate. A total of 70,000 sq km in area 95,000 sq km by official figures, includingChinese-occupied areas, it includes areas in the range of 11,000 ft to 18,000 ft above sea level. And one has to cover that expanse literally hunting for voters as the population ratio is just two persons per sq km. But Paljore has toured the terrain extensively, thanks to his experience as a trekker.

His rivals, Thupstan Chhewang of the Congress and Ghulam Hassan Khan of the the National Conference NC, are panting to catch up. Though Khan has also been in the security forces 8212; he retired as DIG with Jamp;K police 8212; he was never fond of mountain climbing.

Paljore is also learning the ropes of politics fast. Like any other BJP candidate, his drawing room has a photograph of him withL.K. Advani, only Paljore is in uniform. Seeing a raised eyebrow, Paljore is quick to assure: 8220;I had never talked about politics with Advaniji while in service.8221; The photograph was apparently taken last year.

In fact, he adds, he had never seriously thought about entering politics and contesting elections so soon after hisretirement in March. The early declaration of elections apparently forced his hand. 8220;It was my desire to do something for the welfare of my neglected brethren that prompted me to enter politics,8221; he explains.

Questioned on the BJP8217;s 8220;communal8221; links, Paljore again replies like a true politician, accusing his two rivals of actually contesting on communal lines while his party provides the 8220;balancing factor8221;. This seat is neatly divided between the Buddhist-dominated Leh district, a stronghold of the Congress, and the Shia Muslim-dominated Kargil, which generally votes for the NC. The BJP candidate last time, Spalzes Angamo, had barely managed to secure 5,000 votes and finished way towards bottom. Rigging and communal clashes are also not unknown here.

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But the BJP 8212; which is contesting for just the third time from here and campaigning for the first time in Kargil 8212; obviously hopes to scale everything with the Kargil high. Paljore affirms this, also pointing out that Leh had lost 27 soldiers to thewar, arguably the highest number of martyrs from any district. The government is thinking about converting the Ladakh Scouts to the Ladakh Regiment, he notes, adding it would generate more employment for the local youth.

But the mountaineer also knows that when your eyes are on the peak, you have to be ready for anything. What if Kargil fails? No need to fret. As Paljore the politician predicts, 8220;With four Muslim candidates in the fray, the NC candidate8217;s vote-bank would be depleted.8221;