Results would spring big surprises for regional parties: BJP

The development comes at a time when the indications after the completion of four-phases of polls suggest that no party would get clear majority. “Who knows what is in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Only God knows and people would come to know on December 23. I can tell you with full authority that it will be BJP government in JK this time,” BJP’s national secretary Tarun Chug told Greater Kashmir over phone.
He said regional parties should not misinterpret the silent voting. “There was a message this time in polls. People voted in huge numbers to ensure a big change. They want Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take charge of JK and see this state flourish like Gujarat,” Chug said.
He said regional parties in JK would get a “big shock” on December 23, when results of elections would be announced. “We are sure about Ladakh where we will have a clean sweep. In Jammu, we will win 20 to 25 seats and in Kashmir there will be surprises for everyone,” said Chug, who managed Prime Minister Modi’s maiden rally at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium here.
On what if BJP falls short of numbers, Chug said entire BJP team was confident that its mission-44 would be a success in JK. “We will form the government in JK,” Chug said. He said people didn’t tell anybody to whom they voted. “They cast their votes silently and left the polling stations. All EVMs will spring surprises, we are sure about that,” he said.
BJP’s JK affairs in-charge, Avinash Rai Khanna said there is no question of BJP falling short of seats. “In Parliamentary polls, we bagged unexpected number of seats. Same will happen in JK and we will need nobody’s support to form the government in JK,” he said.
Khanna, who was overseeing the party affairs during elections in Kashmir, said as per the inputs they have received from the ground in Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh, the party is hopeful that it will cross 44 mark. “I can’t say how many seats we will win from Kashmir, but I can tell you with full confidence, you will see BJP government in place in January,” Khanna said.
Sources in BJP said the party is likely to explore options of forging post-poll ties with either National Conference or PDP but not with the Congress. “This is of course the Plan-B. BJP wants to be in government in JK and if it doesn’t get numbers, it will get in touch with the parties like NC and PDP over alliance issue,” a source, privy to the development said.