With the conclusion of the Amarnath Yatra on August 19, the stage is set for the much-anticipated Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP’s national leadership, spearheaded by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has instructed state leaders to gear up for the electoral battle, sources informed The Daily Guardian.
In a late-night meeting on Thursday, Amit Shah, Union Health Minister, and BJP National President JP Nadda directed the state unit to prepare for the elections, confirming that the party intends to contest all 90 seats.
The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly was dissolved in November 2018, preceding the revocation of the state’s special status in August 2019, which led to its bifurcation into two Union Territories. Sources revealed that the BJP will not form a pre-poll alliance with any party. However, seat adjustments and “electoral understandings” with “like-minded parties” are a possibility. The party will not project any Chief Ministerial candidate before the elections.
Key Union Ministers and BJP national leaders are expected to visit the state in the coming days. A mass contact program with the public is also on the agenda. To kickstart preparations, BJP chief JP Nadda will visit Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday to address the state executive meeting of the party.
The current leadership of the state BJP unit, headed by Ravinder Raina, will remain unchanged, sources confirmed. The two-hour meeting was attended by Raina, BJP MPs from Jammu and Kashmir Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma, and other senior leaders.
Sources also hinted at the possibility of simultaneous elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Haryana, adding another layer of complexity to the electoral landscape.