BJP Releases Sixth List of Candidates for J&K Elections After Shah’s Campaign Launch

Bhartiya Janta Party released its sixth list of candidates on Sunday. The list includes Vikram Randhawa from Bahu constituency and R S Pathania from Udhampur East, along with candidates for ten other constituencies such as Handwara, Gurez, and Karnah.

With this sixth list, the BJP now becomes the party contesting the most 62 seats in the upcoming elections, surpassing all other parties in the fray.

Jammu and Kashmir will hold elections in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, with results to be declared on October 4. The BJP, which was part of a coalition government with the PDP before pulling out in 2018, has gained momentum with the recent addition of former Apni Party vice-president Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali, a key Gujjar leader.

In the 2014 Assembly polls, the BJP won 25 seats. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, it contested and won both seats in Jammu. The candidates announced are:

– Karnah: Mohd. Idrees Karnahi
– Handwara: Ghulam Mohammad Mir
– Sonawari: Abdul Rashid Khan
– Bandipora: Naseer Ahmad Lone
– Gurez (ST): Faqir Mohammad Khan
– Udhampur East: R S Pathania
– Kathua: Dr Bharat Bhushan
– Bishnah: Rajeev Bhagat
– Bahu: Vikram Randhawa
– Marh: Surinder Bhagat

As the elections approach, the BJP is expected to ramp up its campaign efforts across the Union Territory, aiming to not only retain but expand its political footprint in a region that has seen significant political shifts in recent years.