Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up for a high-stakes campaign in Jammu and Kashmir, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President J.P. Nadda, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh set to lead the charge. These top leaders will begin their rallies by the end of August, continuing through September, in the lead-up to the three-phase Assembly elections in the Union Territory.
According to top BJP leaders, Prime Minister Modi will spearhead the campaign, holding around 10 rallies across Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh are expected to hold between 15 to 20 rallies each, with Nadda likely to address 10 to 12 rallies. A high-level national team, in consultation with the J&K BJP unit, is finalising the detailed schedule to ensure comprehensive coverage of all 43 Assembly constituencies in the BJP’s stronghold of Jammu division.
In addition to focusing on Jammu, BJP plans to hold rallies in Kashmir, aiming to contest nearly all 47 seats in the Valley. The party intends to go solo in the election, contesting all 90 Assembly seats without forming pre-poll alliances.
The campaign strategy is being meticulously crafted by Union Minister G Kishen Reddy, Election In charge for Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Dr Jitendra Singh, and BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh. These leaders have been tasked with screening candidates for the 90 seats, ensuring a strong roster of contenders.
BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir Chief, Ravinder Raina, has been actively involved in discussions in New Delhi, meeting with senior leaders including Amit Shah and JP Nadda to finalise the election strategy and potential candidates.
BJP’s campaign is set to include not just the top four leaders but also several union ministers, chief ministers from BJP-ruled states, and senior party leaders from across the country, who will all contribute to the campaign efforts across Jammu and Kashmir.
The elections, set to be held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, mark a critical moment for BJP in the Union Territory. The party, which won 25 seats in the 2014 elections, aims to expand its influence, particularly in the newly configured 43-seat Jammu region.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Assembly now comprises 90 seats, following a reconfiguration that added six seats in Jammu division and one in the Kashmir valley, while Ladakh, now a separate union territory, no longer contributes to the Assembly. Additionally, there are provisions for the nomination of five MLAs, including two Kashmir migrants, two women, and one Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) refugee.
With the BJP’s top brass leading the charge, the party is set to make a formidable push to secure a majority in the upcoming elections.
