Awaiting Nominations: BJP Yet to Name Lok Sabha Contenders for Kashmir’s Triad Seats
Some BJP leaders have even dropped hints that the saffron party won’t contest from Kashmir, but will support its allies
As the notification for polls in south Kashmir’s Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat has been issued, the Bharatiya Janata Party is yet to announce its candidates for the three seats in Kashmir.
The BJP, which has been holding meetings in Kashmir, has now gone on silent mode. Some leaders have even dropped hints that the saffron party won’t contest from Kashmir, but will support its allies.
Recently, BJP’s Kashmir in-charge Tarun Chugh held a meeting with Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari and Peoples Conference chairperson Sajjad Lone in Srinagar at the former’s residence. Lone has announced his candidature from the Baramulla seat and Apni Party has already named two candidates, Ashraf Mir for Srinagar and Zaffar Manhas for Anantnag-Rajouri.
So far, the BJP has not made it clear whether it will contest the polls in Kashmir or support other candidates.
BJP state spokesperson Altaf Thakur said that party would announce its candidates for Srinagar and Anantnag seats soon. “The names will be announced within days,” he said. Thakur, however, refused to give out any probable names.
A senior BJP leader, requesting anonymity, said that the party was busy in consultations to decide on contesting. “..We have sent names to the party high command. But consultations are on whether to contest polls or help some like-minded candidates,” the leader said.
On Friday, National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah had dared the BJP to contest Lok Sabha polls on all seats of Kashmir. “They (BJP candidates) will lose their deposits,” Omar had said.
Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, multiple times since the formation of his party soon after abrogation of Article 370, has already said that he is not averse to forging alliance with the BJP.
BJP has never won Lok Sabha or assembly seats in Kashmir. However, the party is hopeful in these elections as some areas of Jammu region, where BJP won both the Lok Sabha seats in 2014 and 2019, have been included in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat after fresh delimitation.
