Jammu and Kashmir BJP President Ravinder Raina announced on Sunday that the party will not enter into any alliance with any political party for the upcoming Assembly elections in the Union Territory. The elections are scheduled to take place in three phases starting from September 18. However, he did mention that the BJP may collaborate with independent candidates for 8-10 seats in the Kashmir region.
“We will not form any alliance with any political party,” Raina emphasized, adding that the BJP will contest the elections with full strength and expects significant support from the public. “The BJP will form the government on its own in Jammu and Kashmir,” he asserted.
When questioned about former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s remarks on Article 370, Raina responded, “He knows his government is not going to be formed here, which is why he’s making such statements.”
Raina also welcomed former J&K Minister Chowdhary Zulfikar Ali into the BJP, stating, “He is a prominent political leader in J&K. His joining will further strengthen the party.”
The Election Commission has scheduled polling for September 18, 25, and October 1, with vote counting set for October 4. These will be the first Assembly elections in the region since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
The UT has a total of 90 Assembly constituencies, including 74 general, nine ST, and seven SC seats. Out of the 87.09 lakh registered voters, there are 44.46 lakh male voters, 42.62 lakh female voters, and 169 transgender voters.
These elections mark the first since the last Assembly election in 2014. The previous PDP-BJP coalition government collapsed in June 2018 when the BJP withdrew support from then-Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. The Supreme Court had earlier directed the Centre to complete the election process by September 30, 2024.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kashmir in March, where he announced development packages aimed at boosting agriculture and tourism, has added to the political momentum. The Election Commission has instructed enforcement agencies to ensure impartiality and transparency for smooth and fair polling.