J&K polls: BJP to go solo in Jammu, eyes independents in Kashmir

New Delhi: The BJP is planning to go solo in Jammu, while in Kashmir Valley it may enter into tie-ups with independents. The party is looking to field several young candidates who do not have any political lineage. Days after the announcement of the poll schedule by the Election Commission, senior BJP leaders, including Union minister G Kishen Reddy, Udhampur MP Jitendra Singh and party general secretary Tarun Chugh held a meeting with party leaders in Jammu.

Talking to ET about the upcoming elections, party's state in-charge Chugh said the BJP is geared up for the assembly polls and its preparations were in full swing. Asked about the BJP's main poll plank, he said, "After the abrogation of Article 370, Gujjar Bakarwals, SCs, West Pakistan refugees and women got rights. And a new era of development started in Jammu and Kashmir with the opening of AIIMS, trains reaching Kashmir and many other initiatives". Echoing similar sentiments, BJP's state head Ravinder Raina said the BJP will not form a "pre-poll" alliance with any political party. However, he added that there could be some sort of alliance with some independents in Kashmir . "The BJP will have no pre-poll alliance with any political party in Jammu and Kashmir.... In Kashmir valley, we are talking with 8 to 10 independent candidates," Raina said.

Sources in the BJP said the party is looking to field many fresh faces, with some of them below 40 years.


The Election Commission on Friday announced a three-phase poll schedule for Jammu and Kashmir -- with polling on September 18, 25 and October 1. Votes will be counted on October 4. Jammu and Kashmir is going for assembly polls after a decade and this would be the first assembly polls after abrogation of Article 370 and the state becoming a Union Territory. In the last assembly polls held in 2014, PDP led with 28 seats followed by BJP with 25 seats. PDP had won all its seats in Kashmir Valley and the BJP in Jammu.

Now, after the delimitation, the total seats in Jammu and Kashmir increased to 114, of which 24 seats were reserved for Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. Of the remaining 90 seats, 43 seats are in Jammu division and 47 are in the Kashmir division. Before 2019, JK assembly had a total 87 seats.

In the recently-held Lok Sabha polls, the NC led in 34 assembly segments, followed by the BJP in 29.