Express News Service
SRINAGAR: With Home Minister Amit Shah stating that Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir would be held within seven-eight months, the BJP is gearing up for the first ever polls in the Union Territory of J&K to achieve ‘Mission 50’ and is hopeful of winning 10-12 seats in Kashmir. Senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta said, “Our cadres are working on the ground and at booth level.”
The BJP is hopeful of doing better in Jammu region, where it had won all its 25 seats in the 2014 polls. With the Delimitation Commission proposing six more seats in Jammu compared to only 1 in Kashmir, the party hopes to “reap” the benefit of Article 370 abrogation, introduction of new laws, bringing investment and delimitation exercise.
However, in Kashmir, too, where the party had drawn a blank in 2014, leaders said they had better prospects this time. “We are ready for elections both in Kashmir and Jammu provinces. We are working on ‘Mission 50’ and will achieve it,” BJP spokesman Arun Gupta said.
Claiming a rise in BJP’s acceptability in Kashmir, Gupta said that the party’s presence can be felt in some areas.
Another BJP leader said the party was hopeful of getting seats in Kupwara-Bandipora districts in north Kashmir and ome parts of south Kashmir as well as it had a good presence there. The leader said things were changing in favour of the BJP on the ground in Valley.
“When we campaigned in 2014 polls, people were sceptical and our workers used to hide their faces during party functions. Now, there is a sea change and BJP workers can be found working on the ground openly in every part of the Valley. Our reach and presence has increased across Kashmir,” he said.
He said top BJP leaders are expected to campaign in the Valley this time once the poll schedule is announced. BJP had won three seats in Kashmir in the first-ever DDC polls in November-December, 2020.
Panel proposed 83 to 90
After the delimitation, the Union Territories Assembly strength would rise from 83 (46 in Kashmir and 37 in Jammu) to 90 (47 in Kashmir and 43 in Jammu)
