Recently, the Election Commission of India announced the dates for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir after a long span of 10 years. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is prepared to go full steam ahead in the impending Jammu and Kashmir assembly poll.
The intense campaign is expected to commence next week. This action will highlight the party’s steadfast dedication to winning elections in the union territory.
Who is expected to address the campaign?
Key leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and BJP National President JP Nadda are expected to be part of the rallies across the union territory.
The J&K BJP unit is working with a top-level BJP national team to arrange the scheduling of the rallies. The primary strategy is to guarantee that at least one of the BJP’s major leaders will address each of the 43 assembly constituencies, which are the party’s core areas in the Jammu division.
Strategies and a new lineup of candidates
In a strategic shift, the BJP plans to contest the Jammu and Kashmir elections independently, making only seat adjustments with the independents and smaller parties in the Kashmir valley.
Additionally, the party is set to revamp its candidate lineup with sources suggesting that 80 percent of the candidates will be new faces.
This approach will reflect the party’s intent to present reinvigorated and dynamic candidates, who are potentially better at connecting more effectively with the voters and addressing their issues with fresh perspectives.
BJP meeting in Jammu today
The party will convene a crucial meeting in Jammu, where key figures including Union Minister and Assembly Polls in Charge G. Kishan Reddy, BJP, National Secretary Tarun Chugh, J&KBJP Chief Ravinder Raina and Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh and other senior leaders will finalize the discussion regarding the potential candidates.
In a significant development, that could enhance the BJP’s chances in the region, prominent political leaders like Choudhary Zulfikar Ali is scheduled to join the party meeting in Jammu.
Who is Zulfikar Ali?
Choudhary Zulfikar Ali is a notable and influential personality in the Rajouri-Poonch district. He has previously served as an MLA for the Budhai assembly seat with the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) in both 2008 and 2014, he was also the minister in the PDP-bBJp coalition government.
After leaving PDP in 2020, he joined the J&K Apni party where he served as a vice president.
His joining with the BJP is anticipated to provide a significant boost to the Gujjar community particularly as he is a leading figure within the group. The Gujjar community is the largest scheduled tribe in the union territory.
Zulfikar Ali’s entry into the BJP will be announced in the presence of G. Kishan Reddy and others. This development comes with his recent meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah yesterday, highlighting his significant transition to the BJP as the party intensifies its preparation for the upcoming assembly elections.
What happened in J&K since 2014?
Jammu and Kashmir will hold its first assembly election since its inception as a union territory in 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370.
The last assembly election in the former state took place in 2014, with 87 seats up for grabs.
The PDP led by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed won 28 seats with BJP securing the second-highest, 25 seats. The national conference won only 15 seats while Congress was left with only 12 seats.
In 2015, the PDP and BJP established a coalition government under Sayeed’s leadership.
After Sayeed’s death, his daughter Mehboob Mufti became the chief minister but the government fell in 2018 when the BJP withdrew its support
Subsequently, the governor dissolved the assembly and the region was placed under the president’s rule in 2019.
Jammu and Kashmir lost its special status and in December 2023 the Supreme Court upheld the abrogation of Article 270 and instructed the Election Commission of India to conduct the election by September 30.
J&K Election Schedule
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar unveiled the schedule for the assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.
The union territory will undergo elections in three phases. The first phase is on September 18. The second phase will be conducted on September 25 and the final phase will be on October 1. The counting of the vote is set for October 4.
