Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir: In a surprising turn of events, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released a list of 44 candidates for the upcoming three-phase election to the 90 Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir, only to delete the list shortly after. The decision to remove the list has fueled speculation, with BJP sources indicating that a revised list may be released soon.
The now-deleted list notably excluded three key BJP figures: Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina, former Deputy Chief Ministers Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta. However, it did include the name of Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh’s brother, Devendra Rana, who recently switched allegiance from the National Conference to the BJP.
The list also featured two Kashmiri Pandits and 14 Muslim candidates, reflecting the party’s strategy to appeal to diverse voter bases. Additionally, several former leaders from Congress, National Conference, PDP, and Panthers Party who joined the BJP were named in the first list.
This election is significant as it is the first Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir since the region was stripped of its special status in 2019 and bifurcated into two Union Territories. The voting will take place in three phases on September 19, 25, and October 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for October 4.
The list, finalized by the BJP’s Central Election Committee, was released after a key meeting in Delhi, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP President JP Nadda. The abrupt deletion of the list has raised questions about the internal dynamics within the party and the reasons behind the exclusion of prominent leaders.
Jammu and Kashmir is gearing up for a tripartite contest among the BJP, the PDP, and the National Conference-Congress alliance. The latter alliance, however, is still working out seat-sharing arrangements, with top Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Salman Khurshid being dispatched to Srinagar to resolve differences.
The political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir remains tense as parties finalize their strategies. BJP General Secretary Tarun Chugh, in charge of the party’s campaign in the region, has already dismissed the Congress-National Conference alliance, predicting it will crumble and face a humiliating defeat.
As the elections draw nearer, the political environment in Jammu and Kashmir is set to become even more charged, with each party vying for dominance in the region.
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