Jammu and Kashmir elections: Left NC for Jammu’s sake, had differences with Abdullahs: Devender Rana

Devender Rana has had an interesting journey in politics. He won the Nagrota assembly constituency in Jammu district in December 2014 on a National Conference ticket, the lone candidate from the party to score a victory in the region then.

Brother of Jitendra Singh, Union MoS in the PMO, Rana was once a close associate of Omar Abdullah. But the two are now bitter foes. Rana, who is now BJP candidate from Nagrota, had won this seat by 4,048 votes in 2014 when the polling percentage was low in most parts of J&K. From being a political advisor to Omar, Rana quit NC in 2021. He claims he gave primacy to the welfare of the Jammu region, which was not liked by the Abdullahs. “The differences with NC started when I talked about the Jammu Declaration and said that Jammu must have its own position. I started asserting my authority for the welfare of Jammu and that was to the dislike of the Kashmiri leadership who felt that this is not right. as they (NC) are a Kashmiroriented party while my belief then and now is that Jammu is the only secular bowl of Jammu and Kashmir. We have Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and people of all colors and shades,” Rana told ET.

He maintains that Kashmir “by default” and especially after the events of 1989 (when Kashmiri Pandits were driven out) has become “unipolar”. His call to all parties to unite for Jammu was vociferously opposed by NC. After the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the differences grew further.

“PostAugust 2019, I said that Jammu must get its due and the sense of alienation should be dealt with. I have been a strong voter of equitable distribution of resources and political authority without depriving anybody of his own identity and rights. This was not acceptable to the leadership in Kashmir,” he said. The differences between Rana and Omar have come out in the open, with the former alleging that NC was desperate to form a government with BJP in 2014 and that NC supports separatism. Omar has countered this, saying Rana has lied for the last 25 years and betrayed him.

Asked about his earlier proximity to Omar, Rana told ET, “I enjoyed the trust of the Abdullahs but as I raised the Jammu issues, a political lobby in Kashmir influenced them, particularly postAugust 2019. This lobby pressured Abdullah against me and they also found fault with me, but the bargain was that I drop the ‘Jammu, Jammu’ line. The differences between him and NC grew further as “they went the whole hog against me”, he added.The Jammu Declaration he espoused batted for more empowerment and development of the Jammu division. “After delimitation, Jammu has been fully empowered. PostAugust 2019, reservations have been given to Paharis, Valmikis, West Pakistan and PoK refugees, as well as OBCs and SCs. The Kashmir parties wanted to confine all powers to central Kashmir. Terrorism has come down by 70% while stonepelting is zero,” he said. “I think this time, Jammu will decide who forms the government in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Congress has fielded Balbir Singh against Rana but the latter is confident of scoring a second consecutive win.