Abid Bashir
Srinagar, Aug 23: In a bid to counter the recent pre-poll alliance move by National Conference and Congress in J&K, the BJP’s top leadership from the Union Territory assembled at BJP national president JP Nadda’s New Delhi residence to give final touches to the probable candidates for the first phase commencing from September 18.
Reliable sources said that J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina, General Secretary (Org) Ashok Koul, two MPs—Dr Jitendera Singh and Jugal Kishore attended the meeting.
Union Minister and J&K Election in-charges G Kishan Reddy and Ram Madhav, along with other leaders that include National General Secretary and BJP J&K in-charge Tarun Chugh and co-incharge Ashish Sood were present in the meeting. They said that Madhav’s presence in the meeting assumes significance given the fact that he is known as the main behind stitching alliance with the PDP besides having good political understanding of the J&K politics. Even though he was removed from the post of BJP’s General Secretary, his entry in the political arena has a sole motive—to gain out of his political expertise on J&K affairs, sources said.
“He is the man who is roping in like-minded people towards the BJP in Kashmir,” they said.
A senior BJP leader said that the meeting discussed the strategy on how to counter the NC-Congress alliance in J&K. “The primary focus of the party was on Jammu region where the number of assembly seats have increased upto 43 post delimitation. The party has chalked out the strategy on how to bag maximum. The list of contenders was also discussed and it was decided that candidates with clean image in public will be given preference,” the leader said, adding that “the meeting started at 5:30 pm and lasted till 9:30 pm. Deliberations continued after that as well.”
The leader said that it was also decided that while BJP was strong in Jammu region, it would approach the like-minded people/parties in Kashmir region to gain maximum in the upcoming Assembly polls starting from September 18 in three phases.
“We have finalised the list for the first phase of polls and the list of candidates will be out after final nod from the Central Election Commission (CEC) on Aug 26 (Monday). Soon after CEC, the final list for the phase 1 will be out and candidates will submit their nomination papers,” he said. The last date of submission of nomination forms is August 27.
Sources privy to the meeting said that a consensus was reached that BJP should win at least 45 seats in the upcoming polls to stake claim on the government formation even though it is eying all 90 Assembly seats. “A strategy to counter the NC-Congress alliance was also finalised. We are also in talks with like-minded people in Kashmir who may contest as independent candidates and later join BJP. It’s not feasible to name them,” a BJP source said. “The counter strategy can’t be discussed in public. Ultimate aim is to form government in J&K to keep the dynasty politics away and to save J&K from hell in which it was plunged by the regional parties like NC, PDP and Congress.”
