Party releases 4th list of 11 candidates
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Nov 17: Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur, who has been appointed as Election Incharge for Jammu and Kashmir District Development Council (DDC) polls by BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda, reached here late this evening and will tomorrow chair meeting of top party leadership to discuss strategy for election campaign and other election-related issues while BJP general secretary, Incharge J&K Tarun Chug reached Srinagar today and addressed the party workers ahead of the elections.
Along with Anurag, the BJP national president had also appointed Shahnawaz Hussain, former Union Minister and Sanjay Bhatia, MP as co-Incharges for the DDC elections.
Party leaders said Anurag Thakur and Tarun Chug will meet the top party leadership of Jammu and Kashmir at the party office in Jammu tomorrow to discuss the election strategy amidst reports that the BJP is strongly going to exploit the Congress tie-up with People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) and target the PAGD as a whole which is contesting the DDC elections together in the entire Union Territory.
The BJP leadership feels that they were at advantage in several districts of the Jammu region because of alliance between National Conference, Congress and PDP just like 2019 Lok Sabha elections when these parties had joined hands on two Lok Sabha seats of Jammu region and didn’t field their candidates against the Congress, leading to massive victory of the BJP candidates on both the seats.
Sources said the BJP leadership will evolve detailed strategy for the elections as it wants to launch high-profile campaign which is evident from the fact that it has listed many Union Ministers and senior leaders as start campaigners including Smriti Irani, Dr Jitendra Singh, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Gen (Retd) VK Singh, Anurag Thakur, Partap Sarangi, Tarun Chug and Shahnawaz Hussain among others.
“It was in view of this that the BJP has also fielded many high profile candidates in the elections including former Ministers, ex-legislators and retired officers,” the insiders said.
While in Jammu region, the BJP will contest all 140 seats as it has already released list of candidates on majority of constituencies, in Kashmir it will field own candidates and support Independents on some of the segments.
The BJP today released fourth list of 11 candidates including Dharminder Kumar and Suraj Singh for Bishnah and Khour segments of Jammu district, Balwan Singh for Sumb in Samba, Om Prakash for Trigam in Kishtwar, Amit Sharma for Majalta, Prikshit Singh (Jaganoo), Lal Chand Bhagat (Udhampur-2), Ashu Sharma (Tikri) and Jattu Ram (Ramnagar-2), all in Udhampur district and Sushma Devi and Neelam Devi in Barnoti and Nagri segments of Kathua district.
Meanwhile, BJP Bhartiya Janata Party’s (BJP) national general secretary and In-charge J&K Tarun Chugh today said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government will audit all the misdoings of regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir and is committed to ensuring justice is delivered to people.
Addressing party workers in Srinagar, Chugh said that the regional parties in J&K have to undergo an audit and will have to answer each and everything they did in the last 7 decades.
Pertinent to mention here, Chugh is on his maiden visit to Kashmir after he was appointed as national general secretary and party’s J&K In-charge.
“We will provide justice to Kashmiri mothers, brothers and sisters whose rights have been snatched by the so-called leaders,” Chugh said.
He termed the Gupkar Alliance parties as “Gupkar Gang” who, he said, are exploiting and misleading the people of J&K.
Chugh said they-referring to the leaders of the PAGD-are daydreaming and their dreams will never be realized. “Article 370 will never be restored; neither China nor Pakistan can dare challenge India now,” he said.
He said both Abdullahs and Muftis have lost their democratic space in the region and as nobody is interested in the dynastic rule again. “All things will be discussed now in front of the public. Some leaders have made properties in foreign countries and all will be investigated,” he said.
He impressed that the party will not allow the Gupkar Gang to succeed in their nefarious designs. Chugh, during his one-day visit, also reviewed preparedness District Development Councils (DDC) and party setup.
He said BJP has always been in favour to strengthen democracy in upcoming DDC elections as it would empower people at the grass-root level.
Party’s Co-Incharge Jammu and Kashmir, Ashish Sood urged party workers to work for development and progress in the region. “Modi’s thinking is linked from Panch to Parliament and we should work for progress and development,’ he said.
Sood said in Bihar people voted for development and prosperity, rather than the family rule and traditional politics.
On the occasion, UT general secretary and in-charge Kashmir affairs, Vibodh Gupta said BJP has reached to every corner in Kashmir and people are also appreciating our work.
He said the dream of ‘Naya Kashmir’ will be fulfilled as promised by the PM Narendra Modi led central government. “Kashmir would become a hub for the peace and progress,” he said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
