Arif Raja who was supposed to contest Parliament elections from Srinagar on the ticket of Bhartiya Janata Party changed his stance on Article 370 on Wednesday when he was barred by party high command to file nomination papers.BJP changed its decision at the eleventh hour and decided to field Fayaz Ahmed Bhat who runs an NGO from Central Kashmir. State Vice President Kashmir Affairs Ramesh Arora told that it was a collective decision taken by the party high command. “Arif Raja was shown door because the party don’t want indisciplined people in its fold,” he said.Fayaz Ahmed Bhat who filed his nomination papers on Wednesday said that the never approached the BJP high command for the mandate. “I am the founder member of the BJP and had contested election of BJP ticket in 1999. It was the high commands decision to field me from Srinagar,” Bhat told
A Srinagar based BJP member told on condition of anonymity that party high command had received a number of complaints against the previous BJP candidate Arif Raja. High Command reposed trust in Fayaz Ahmed Bhat and was informed the development three days before,” he said.Meanwhile, the disgruntled BJP proposed candidate Arif Raja appeared in Press Enclave Srinagar and told reporters that he did not contest elections after the BJP talked about the abrogation of Article 370 in its manifesto. “I am from Old City Srinagar and I won’t let any party (BJP) to play with the sentiments of people of Kashmir by talking about the abrogation of Article 370,” he said.