Jammu

It’s backstabbing! BJP’s poor election performance in the Rajouri-Poonch belt after granting ST status to Paharis proved heavy for Ravinder Raina; Sat Sharma in a comfortable position to win RS seat

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Published on

October 16, 2025

SALIL RAINA

(POONCH TODAY NEWS)

JAMMU: Powerful BJP leader and former president of J&K BJP Ravinder Raina was the frontrunner for the safe Rajya Sabha seat of Jammu, but the party high command gave the mandate to former MLA and sitting BJP president Sat Sharma CA. It is important to mention here that Ravinder Raina played a leading role in the grant of ST status to the Pahari ethnic tribe, as he presented the case before the union government strongly.

The union government, after detailed deliberations on the issue, fulfilled a decades-long demand from the Pahari ethnic tribe by blessing them with ST status. After granting the much-publicized ST to Paharis, J&K BJP was expected to perform better in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch by winning five to six seats, but in what could be termed as unexpected character shown by the Paharis to a large extent, the saffron brigade lost seven of eight seats in the same region that was blessed with ST status by the BJP-led union government after four decades. It was a short-sightedness of Paharis that ultimately proved heavy for Ravinder Raina, who was denied the Rajya Sabha mandate. Insiders in the BJP Camp told “POONCH TODAY” that RSS totally backed Ravinder Raina for the mandate, but some big BJP leaders objected to the decision and suggested the names of two senior BJP leaders, including Sat Sharma and Dr. Nirmal Singh. They also said that the issue of the illegal construction of a house by Dr. Nirmal Singh near the army area and his earlier negative statement against the army and some party leaders played a crucial role against him. As there was no consensus reached about the candidate, the ball landed in the court of BJP national president J.P. Nadda, and after hectic discussion among senior BJP leaders by weighing all pros and cons, a green signal was given to the sitting BJP president Sat Sharma CA, who is in a comfortable position to win the safe seat. As a BJP president, Ravinder Raina infused new life into the party with his trademark political gestures after becoming its president by visiting all the areas of J&K. Raina remained popular on social media, as an impression was generated in the political circles that BJP in J&K had a strong leader who had a huge acceptance everywhere, but some big BJP leaders holding important positions informed the top brass that the actions of Raina were against the party’s ideology to some extent and he was only responsible for the party’s crushing defeat in the Rajouri-Poonch belt. Young Raina was considered as a future face of the J&K BJP, but the poor performance of the party in the last years’ assembly elections in the Rajouri-Poonch belt proved to be one of the various reasons that he was ignored during the last time, and ultimately, the party gave the decision in favor of Sat Sharma CA, who remained loyal to the party for years. Sources within the party said that Raina became a silent victim of internal party politics, as few big names totally objected to his name for the Rajya Sabha mandate. Ravinder Raina also lost his home seat to NC candidate Surinder Choudhary during the last year’s assembly elections. The saffron brigade was sure to get nearly five to six seats from the Rajouri-Poonch region after fulfilling the demand of the Pahari ethnic tribe, but the result of assembly elections in the Rajouri-Poonch range surprised all, and it raised a big question mark on the moral fiber of the Pahari ethnic tribe, which failed to show their loyalty in large numbers to the BJP candidates after getting ST status. Now, those Pahari people who voted against BJP candidates in the Rajouri-Poonch districts are now showing their hollow sympathies on social media with Ravinder Raina with a hidden agenda of remaining in his good books for the future to fulfill their self-interests, and this clearly amounts to an act of double standard. Although a considerable chunk of Paharis votes went in favor of BJP, their percentage was extremely lower than the percentage of winning candidates. “Had the Paharis voted in large numbers in favor of BJP candidates after getting the ST status, BJP would have been in a position to form a government with the help of independents, but Paharis discourage us. The way Raina Sahib fought for the cause of Paharis, he was deserving of proper respect from Paharis, but unfortunately, it did not happen,” said a senior BJP leader wishing anonymity. Sitting BJP president, ex-MLA, and Rajya Sabha candidate Sat Sharma seems to be in a comfortable position to win the seat, but the real picture will come only after the election results.