Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will spearhead the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign in Jammu and Kashmir, with rallies commencing at the end of August and continuing through September for the three-phase Assembly elections in the Union Territory.
Top BJP leaders have said Modi will lead the campaign with around 10 rallies in Jammu and Kashmir.
Shah and Rajnath Singh are expected to hold between 15 to 20 rallies each, while Nadda is likely to address 10- to 12 rallies.
A high-level national BJP team, in consultation with the J&K BJP unit, is finalising the detailed rally schedule.
These rallies will ensure that all 43 Assembly constituencies in the Jammu division, a BJP stronghold, are covered by at least one of the four top campaigners.
"Rallies of the top four leaders are also planned in Kashmir," the leaders said, adding that the BJP will contest nearly all 47 seats in the Valley and 90 seats in total, that too independently.
Union Minister G Kishen Reddy, Election In-Charge for Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh, and BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh have been tasked with screening candidates for the 90 seats.
BJP UT Chief Ravinder Raina has been in New Delhi holding meetings with Amit Shah, JP Nadda, BL Santosh, and other senior leaders to discuss election strategy, potential candidates, and other election-related issues.
Besides the top four leaders, several Union Ministers, Chief Ministers from BJP-ruled states, and senior party leaders from various states will campaign for the BJP candidates across Jammu and Kashmir, according to party leaders.
The BJP campaign is set to start by the end of this month and continue through September. The first phase of elections is scheduled for September 18, the second phase for September 25, and the third phase for October 1. Votes will be counted on October 4.
In the 2014 elections, the BJP won 25 seats. With party rebel Pawan Gupta, who won the Udhampur seat as an Independent candidate, re-joining the BJP, the number rose to 26 out of the then 37 seats in the Jammu division.
Now, Jammu region has 43 seats.
Jammu and Kashmir currently has a 90-seat Assembly, up from the previous 87 – which was reduced later to 83 minus Ladakh’s four seats after it was declared a separate Union Territory.
Six seats were added in the Jammu division and one in Kashmir Valley, which previously had 46 seats.
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