The Bharatiya Janata Party announced Sunday that it will contest the Assembly polls in Jammu & Kashmir on its own and will not forge any pre-poll alliance with any political entity.
BJP's J&K president Ravinder Raina told media persons.
“BJP will fight the Assembly elections in J&K on its own without any pre-poll alliance with any other political party. We will not form any pre-poll alliance with any party. However, we are talking to some independent candidates. BJP can support some independent candidates in 8 to 10 Assembly seats where we believe the independents can win with our support,” Raina explained.
A meeting of the manifesto and mandate committee of the BJP is presently on.
Other important leaders of the party who are in the meeting include G. Kishan Reddy, election in charge of J&K elections, Tarun Chugh, national general secretary and J&K affairs in charge, and Ashish Sood, among other senior leaders.
While addressing the media, Tarun Chugh has highlighted, “Narendra Modiji has put Jammu and Kashmir on the path of development and trust. Every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir is receiving medical insurance worth ₹5 lakh. New milestones of development are being achieved in every sector, in every district, and in everyday life. Ring roads are being constructed, bridges are being built, water is reaching the homes of the poor, and free ration is being provided."
He also indicated that the party attracts young and dynamic leaders.
NC has already announced that it is going to contest the Assembly elections on its own, with no pre-poll alliances. The NC president, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, has announced participation in the elections, while his son, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has announced he would not contest as long as J&K remains a union territory. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti made a similar announcement.
But Omar Abdullah still left room for a U-turn in his decision and claimed that there is immense pressure from party members and leadership to enter the electoral fray.
Responding to this, Tarun Chugh said, "From Omar Abdullah's recent statements, it seems he is now gripped with the fear of defeat as a few days back, Abdullah had stated that NC was not going to contest the election.".
Chugh also responded to Omar Abdullah's comments on Article 370, stating that Abdullah was in a flustered state of mind. "The decision on Article 370 was upheld by the highest court of the country," Chugh said.
He equated Abdullah's desires to "Mungerilal ke sapne"—daydreams.
He further said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have suffered at the hands of a negative leadership for years, especially at the hands of the Abdullah family, which they accuse of having stripped them of their rights.
He said that the Abdullah, Mehbooba, and Nehru families kept Jammu and Kashmir enslaved by opposing the implementation of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's constitution in the state. Chugh added that, thus he averred that under the stewardship of Prime Minister Modi the state of Jammu & Kashmir saw the light of that constitution penned by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar witnessing its implementation and emancipation from the malefic hold of Article 370 and 35A.
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