Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Shopian, Javaid Ahmad Qadri, expressed confidence in his victory in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, attributing his optimism to the development work carried out under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership over the past decade. Speaking on Monday, Qadri expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for entrusting him with the candidacy.
“I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for showing trust in me. This is the mandate of the people of Shopian. I am confident of winning from the Shopian Assembly constituency. The ST community has always been close to me, and all Kashmiri communities stand with us for the work done by PM Modi over the last ten years,” Qadri stated.
The BJP on Monday released its first list of candidates for the upcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which will be conducted in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1. The list includes 15 candidates, with the party seeking to represent various communities across both the Jammu and Kashmir regions.
Veer Saraf, the BJP candidate from Anantnag East, echoed similar sentiments, crediting his nomination to the hard work of BJP workers. “I am happy that the party considered me capable enough to contest the elections. Our efforts have been recognized, and we are confident that the BJP will win,” Saraf remarked.
Sofi Yousuf, the BJP candidate from Srigufwara-Bijbehara, emphasized the impact of PM Modi’s governance on the region and expressed confidence in securing votes based on the development achieved since 2014. “PM Modi, JP Nadda, Amit Shah, and other leaders have entrusted me with this responsibility. The situation in Kashmir has improved significantly since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. We will seek votes based on the development and stability PM Modi has brought to the region,” Yousuf said.
The BJP’s candidate list includes Syed Showkat Gayoor Andrabi from Pampore, Arshid Bhat from Rajpora, Javed Ahmad Qadri from Shopian, Mohd. Rafiq Wani from Anantnag West, Syed Wazahat from Anantnag, and Veer Saraf from Shangus-Anantnag East. The list also features Sofi Yousuf from Srigufwara-Bijbehara, Tariq Keen from Inderwal, Salim Bhat from Banihal, and Shagun Parihar from Kishtwar, the only woman candidate. Additional candidates include Sunil Sharma from Padder-Nagseni, Daleep Singh Parihar from Bhadarwah, Gajay Singh Rana from Doda, Shakti Raj Parihar from Doda West, and Rakesh Thakur from Ramban constituency. Choudhary Roshan Hussain Gujjar will contest from Kokernag.
The elections, which mark the first assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370, are expected to witness multi-cornered contests across most seats. The Election Commission has already issued a notification for the first phase of elections, covering 24 constituencies. The results will be declared on October 4.
