Former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta was a notable absentee from BJP list of candidates for the Jammu and Kashmir polls
Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday released its sixth list of candidates for the third and last phase of the assembly elections, naming five more candidates from Jammu and Kashmir divisions each, two of whom are former legislators.
Notably, the BJP, which has never won a seat in the Valley before, will be contesting on 23 to 24 seats in Kashmir. The party has decided to field Mohammad Idrees Karnahai from Tangdhar, Ghulam Ahmad Mir from Handwara, Abdul Rashid Khan from Sonawari, Naseer Ahmad Lone from Bandipora, Faqir Mohammad Khan from Gurez, R S Pathania from Udhampur, Dr Bharat Bushan from Kathua, Rajeev Bhagat from Bishna, Babu Vikram Randhawa from Bahu and Surinder Baghat from Marah.
Two of the chosen candidates are former legislators while former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta was a notable absentee.
The last date of nomination for the third phase of elections is September 12.
While the BJP’s main focusing remains on the Jammu division, party leaders are eyeing a few seats in border regions of Kashmir, especially Gurez and Tangdhar.
The party’s Gurez candidate is a former legislator who joined the BJP after the abrogation of Article 370. Start campaigners led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah have been lined up to woo voters.
BJP’s J&K in-charge and general secretary Ram Madhav had earlier in Srinagar exuded confidence of the party winning 35 seats in Jammu and forming the government with the support of independents.
