Strengthening its base in Kashmir, the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has gone for its first real estate investment in the trouble-torn Valley. The right wing party has signed an “agreement” to buy a residential house on the high-security Airport Road in Srinagar. Located in Hyder Pora locality, the 2-storeyed-house lies near the residence of senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
Official sources in judiciary privy to the deal said that the party opted for “agreement” with the actual owner of the property, while almost 80% payment has been made. Sources said the BJP will “own the building through a trust.”
Till now, the party operates from a government-owned accommodation, a house at J-1 Jawahar Nagar in south city. Sources said that the sale deed for the new building around Kanal land would be signed in the coming days.
Uptown Hyder Pora is seen among the costliest areas of Kashmir, where such deals cost around Rs four to five crores. As per the sources, most of the payment for this deal was made before the demonetisation was announced on November 8.
The party had gone for a recce to find out the “most ideal accommodation.” “There were several parameters like connectivity, security, and access for people. This house being close to Airport suited them the most,” official sources said.
During an informal chat with InUth, senior BJP leader and its district president for Srinagar Fayaz Ahmed, however, downplayed the real estate deal. “Payment has been done but it’s not final as yet. It’s still under process as we have only gone for agreement till now. Once court registry will be done, I will tell you,” he says.
Fayaz claims that the agreement was made some eight months back but the unrest in the Valley after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani on July 8 delayed the final deal.
However, Fayaz ruled out that new building would be used as the head office. “It may be used as a guesthouse. Although we’re going to open our main office for Srinagar district soon, it won’t be at this place. Nothing is decided as yet, may be Fayaz Ahmed uses it for his person.”
Asked how he could personally use the property belonging to the party and he had a witty reply. “Well for that matter I am also the property of BJP.”
One of the old guards of the party in Kashmir, Fayaz said over the years the BJP has strengthened its network in the Muslim-majority region with over 3,00,000 active members in the valley.
“Our office bearers alone are over 5,000. Though some parties tried to project us as anti-Muslim, people have started understanding the reality.”
One of the founding members of BJP, Fayaz had bagged around 4000 votes in the last Assembly elections, a highest for any of his party candidates from the region in 2014 polls.
