Srinagar, Sep 3: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to kick off the J&K election campaign next week.
The PM is likely to address two rallies in Jammu and one in Kashmir. Sources said the PM is likely to visit the J&K after September 8.
Media reports said BJP is hoping to win at least 35 seats in Jammu, which has 43 Assembly constituencies after delimitation, as well as enough in Kashmir “to emerge as the key player in government formation” in the Union territory. The new Assembly consists of 90 members.
Last month BJP devised a list of 40 leaders who will lead the election campaign in Jammu and Kashmir
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the BJP’s campaign in assembly elections, the first such democratic exercise after the erstwhile state was downgraded to Union Territory in August 2019.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP national president J P Nadda, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were also included in the list of 40-star campaigners submitted by the party to the Election Commission for the first phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Manohar Lal Khattar, G Kishan Reddy, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Jitendra Singh, and former union ministers Anurag Thakur and Smriti Irani and Gen (Retd.) V K Singh besides Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur are other prominent faces who will visit Jammu and Kashmir during the campaigning.
The three-phased assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled for September 18, 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 4.
In a letter addressed to the Election Commission, BJP national general secretary and in-charge headquarters Arun Singh said the list of the 40-star campaigners of the party may be treated as valid for the remaining phases “unless we forward an amended list” within the prescribed time limit.
The list also included former BJP general secretary and recently appointed election in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir Ram Madhav, party national general secretary in charge Jammu and Kashmir Tarun Chugh, Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina, Member of Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma, Rajya Sabha member Ghulam Ali Khatana, General secretary (organization) Ashok Kaul and Jammu and Kashmir BJP vice president Sofi Yousuf.
