Focus grows on Anantnag, candidate to be named soon
*Other senior party leaders to join campaign
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 17: Determined to take its tally from two to three this time, the BJP proposed to hold rallies of its top leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in three Parliamentary constituencies of Jammu-Reasi, Udhampur-Doda and Anantnag-Poonch-Rajouri during the election campaign in J&K.
The BJP has already declared its candidates for Jammu and Udhampur seats while it is yet to name the nominee for high-profile Anantnag-Poonch-Rajouri constituency which is expected to witness contest among heavyweights. The party is also likely to field strong candidates for Srinagar and Baramulla constituencies.
BJP UT chief Ravinder Raina remained the frontrunner for Anantnag-Poonch-Rajouri seat. The NC is considering several names for the seat but a prominent Gujjar leader is at the top. Sources in the PDP said if there is no consensus in INDIA bloc, the possibility of top party leader jumping into the fray is not ruled out. In an interview to a national news channel recently, senior DPAP leader had also dropped enough hints that he could contest the seat.
“The BJP is expected to name its candidate after weighing all options and may even wait for declaration of candidates by the other political parties,” the insiders told the Excelsior. Anantnag-Poonch-Rajouri seat will go to polls on third phase on May 7.
Senior party leaders said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address an election rally either in Kathua or in Udhampur district during the election campaign. Modi had addressed a mammoth rally at MA Stadium, Jammu on February 20 and another huge rally at Bakshi Stadium, Srinagar on March 7. However, only one election rally of the Prime Minister is planned in Jammu and Kashmir during the campaigning.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will, however, address at least two election rallies in Jammu and Kashmir. One of his rallies is almost certain in Poonch, a district which is now part of prestigious Anantnag-Rajouri-Poonch Lok Sabha constituency. The district has large number of Paharis to whom the Central Government accorded Scheduled Tribe (ST) status recently. On October 4, 2022, Shah had addressed massive rallies in Rajouri and Baramulla districts where he announced ST status for Paharis.
Shah is likely to address second rally in the border district of Samba which is part of Jammu-Poonch Parliamentary seat.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will address two election rallies in Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts.
Some other senior leaders of the party will also campaign in Jammu and Kashmir.
The BJP has won Udhampur and Jammu Parliamentary seats for two consecutive terms in 2014 and 2019 and the party candidates including Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma have been given the party mandate for third time.
The BJP, however, is trying to take its tally to at least three this time in Jammu and Kashmir with focus on Anantnag-Poonch-Rajouri seat where it wants to put strong candidate to face heavyweights from the rival political parties.
In 2019 Parliamentary elections, the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir had six Lok Sabha seats. However, on August 5, 2019, the Centre abrogated special status of the State and divided it into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
The UT of Ladakh has only one Parliamentary seat which was previously part of J&K and was won by the BJP for two consecutive terms in 2014 and 2019 like Jammu and Udhampur.
The BJP is yet to name its candidate for Ladakh Lok Sabha seat though a panel of three has been drafted by the UT unit comprising sitting MP Jamyang Tsering Namgayal, CEC Autonomous Hill Development Council Leh Tashi Gyalson and Kargil Hill Council Member Stanzin Lakpa.
Other major political parties including Congress, National Conference and PDP are yet to name their candidates for any of the five Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir. All three parties are part of INDIA bloc.
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