BJP President to address election rallies in Shopian, Srinagar today
Barely three days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed his maiden election rally in Srinagar, JK unit of BJP has invited party president Amit Shah to “raise the morale of party workers in Kashmir.” Shah will arrive tomorrow to address two maiden rallies—one in Srinagar and another in Shopian district of South Kashmir.
Party sources said, Shah’s plans to address election rally in flood-hit Rajbagh area of the city is aimed at doing some political maneuvering to raise the morale of the party men. “He will first go to Shopian and then come to Rajbagh in the afternoon,” a BJP source said.
Rajbag falls in Amira Kadal Assembly segment which goes to polls on December 14 in the fourth phase of polls. BJP has fielded Dr Hina Bhat against PDP’s Altaf Bukhari and NC’s Nasir Aslam Wani in Amira Kadal.
He said there has been demand by party cadres that some rallies should be held in Srinagar and must be addressed by the BJP president himself. “JK unit of the party requested Shah to manage time for at least one rally in Srinagar and he accepted,” he said.
BJP’s Kashmir affairs in-charge, Ramesh Arora said Shah was also keen to address the people of Kashmir. “His visit is important as Srinagar and Shopian are going to polls in the fourth phase. We are confident that his visit will help rejuvenate the party cadre in these constituencies,” Arora said.
He said Prime Minister Modi’s visit was a success. “People across the State and even from many States of the country had come to listen to Modi. We are sure that people of Srinagar would turn up in good numbers to listen to Shah also,” he said. Arora said BJP is sure that they will get six Lotus flowers (Assembly seats) from Kashmir region. “We are sure that Shah’s visit will help us to achieve mission-44 in JK. We don’t need to forge alliance with any party as we are sure we will get the numbers,” he said. This time, he said, BJP is not banking on how many people would turn up to listen to Shah. “His visit will automatically have a great impact on the party works of Amira Kadal constituency. Though people would come from other places as well,” he said.
Talking to Greater Kashmir over phone from New Delhi, BJP’s National Secretary Tarun Chug said Modi’s rally has already created ripples in Kashmir and it is time to see some more reaction after Shah’s visit. “The BJP president’s visit will certainly help infuse a new wave of energy among the party workers,” Chug said. He said BJP is taking Kashmir seriously and that’s why top leaders of the party are frequently visiting Kashmir,” he said.
Pertinently, Shah’s focus had been on Jammu region ever since he was made BJP chief. After taking the control of the party, Shah addressed first rally in Jammu on August 24. He then addressed a series of rallies in Jammu region on August 24 and November 21 he addressed a rally in Doda district of Jammu region as well.
Sidhu addresses rally in Old City
Meanwhile, BJP Wednesday held its first ever rally in old city here, which is seen as a strong bastion of separatists, with senior party leader and former MP Navjot Singh Sidhu urging people to forget “bullets and to use ballots.”
BJP organized the rally at Gousia Park in Khanyar area of old city where party has fielded Ashok Bhat against NC stalwart Ali Muhammad Sagar and PDP candidate Muhammad Khurshid Alam. At least 100 people attended the rally. BJP had also managed a small cultural show to lure people. “Even if only 50 people would have turned up here, that’s still a big achievement for us,” said BJP’s Kashmir affairs in-charge Ramesh Arora.
Addressing his maiden gathering in Srinagar, Sidhu, the former cricketer while showering praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the city has been neglected by all the previous regimes of JK—the Congress, NC and PDP. He urged people to forget bullets and to give ballot a chance.
