Party to contest 3 seats, file nominations today
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Oct 12: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today declared names of three candidates for the three Rajya Sabha seats out of four in J&K, the elections for which will be held on October 24.
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The party declared the name of its UT president and former Minister, Sat Sharma, party vice president, Rakesh Mahajan and senior leader from Kashmir, Dr Ali Mohammed Mir as the prospective candidates for three seats of RS out of four. Like ruling National Conference (NC), the party did not field any candidate for the fourth seat.
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The names of three candidates were cleared by BJP’s Parliamentary Board yesterday and party national general secretary, Arun Singh who is also incharge BJP Headquarters, New Delhi later released these names to media.
However, the party handout had mistaken the name of Dr Ali Mohammed Mir with Ghulam Mohammed Mir which was later cleared by party’s another national general secretary and incharge J&K and Ladakh UTs, Tarun Chugh. He, in a rejoinder, said that the name in serial No. 1 of the earlier communication be read as Dr Ali Mohammed Mir instead of Ghulam Mohammed Mir.
The three party candidates will file their nomination papers in Srinagar tomorrow. Earlier, they will hold a grand rally in the city which will be attended by party senior leaders, all MLAs of BJP and party activists from different parts of the Valley.
Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh, who will reach Srinagar from New Delhi tomorrow morning will attend the rally and also accompany the party candidates to Assembly Secretariat to file their nomination papers. He will also be accompanied by BJP general secretary (Org), Ashok Koul and Leader of Opposition, Sunil Sharma.
Earlier, all three party candidates were welcomed by party MLAs and senior leaders at BJP’s Jawahar Nagar office.
Meanwhile, all BJP MLAs including Leader of Opposition, Sunil Sharma have already reached Srinagar to participate in tomorrow’s programme. The party Legislators held a meeting today as well to devise the strategy for the Rajya Sabha elections to be held on October 24.
Leader of Opposition, Sunil Sharma told reporters at Srinagar that all MLAs have reached Srinagar and they participated in today’s meeting to devise the party’s strategy for RS poll. He said Party’s Parliamentary Board has cleared the three candidates and they will file their nomination papers tomorrow, which is the last date to do so.
Sharma said the party MLAs’ presence in Srinagar was also must to propose the names of candidates besides formulation of strategy for elections.
BJP president, Sat Sharma told Excelsior that his party is hopeful to win two seats out of three. He said prior to filing of nomination papers a rally will be held in Srinagar tomorrow which will be addressed by senior party leaders and candidates.
Sharma complimented the party High Command for fielding him as a candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections. He said “I am thankful to party national leadership and the party activists for reposing faith and trust in me and I will try my best to come to the expectations of my party men and national leadership”.
Meanwhile, BJP senior leader and former vice president of the party Sofi Yousf reiterated his claim that BJP will win all the three Rajya Sabha seats on which it has fielded its candidates.
He said the people as well as NC’s MLAs are fed up with their party due to its dismal performance. He claimed that many MLAs are in touch with BJP and they will vote for the party candidates in October 24 elections. “I am confident that BJP will win all the three seats on which the party has fielded its candidates,” Sofi added.
He said that dissatisfied candidates of NC will indulge in cross voting making victory chances of BJP candidates bright. Sofi was talking to reporters at a joining programme at Bijbehara in Anantnag district.
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