In a significant political development, Zulfikar Choudhary, a former minister and a prominent leader from the Rajouri-Poonch region, has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with hundreds of his supporters. The formal induction took place at the BJP headquarters in Trikuta Nagar, Jammu.
Union Minister and J&K Assembly election in charge G. Kishan Reddy, BJP National General Secretary and J&K Prabhari Tarun Chugh, J&K BJP President Ravinder Raina, Union MoS PMO Dr Jitendra Singh, and other senior party leaders including J&K BJP General Secretary Adv Vibodh Gupta, former Minister Er Abdul Ghani Kohli, former MP Talib Hussain Choudhary, DDC Iqbal Malik, District President Dinesh Sharma, and ST Morcha President Roshan Choudhary were present to welcome Choudhary into the party.
G. Kishan Reddy praised Choudhary as a “tall leader” and highlighted the Modi government’s efforts to address longstanding injustices faced by the ST community. He pointed out the historic grant of reservation to the community following the revocation of Article 370. Reddy emphasised that Jammu & Kashmir has seen unprecedented growth in tourism and infrastructure under Modi’s leadership, marking a shift from an era of terrorism and unrest to one of peace, brotherhood, and development.
Tarun Chugh, in his remarks, criticised Abdullah, Mufti, and Nehru-Gandhi families for sidelining the Gujjar-Bakerwal community for decades. He praised PM Modi for addressing the core issues of the community, which had long been ignored by previous governments. Chugh also underscored the rapid development that J&K has experienced under the current administration.
J&K BJP President Ravinder Raina lauded Choudhary’s commitment to public service and his role in bringing numerous development projects to the region. Raina expressed confidence that Choudhary’s experience and dedication would greatly benefit both, the party and the people of Rajouri-Poonch.
Dr Jitendra Singh, while welcoming Choudhary, acknowledged his political legacy and said that his joining the BJP would further strengthen the party’s grassroots presence in the region. He cited several development projects initiated by the Modi government, including new medical colleges, the Bio-tech Park, and the revival of the Shahpur Kandi project, as evidence of the administration’s focus on transforming Jammu & Kashmir.
In his address, Zulfikar Choudhary expressed his gratitude to the BJP leadership for their warm welcome. He stated that his decision to join the party was driven by his desire to work for the welfare of the ST community and to advance the development of the Rajouri-Poonch area. Choudhary criticised previous governments for neglecting the region and emphasised that under BJP, initiatives like the Golden Card and PM Awas Yojana are making a real difference in people’s lives.
Choudhary also condemned Congress for what he described as “double standards” on religious grounds, accusing the party of trying to prevent people from joining BJP by playing on communal lines. He vowed to work towards the betterment of his community and his region as part of BJP.