JAMMU, Oct 08: In the first Assembly election held after the abrogation of Article 370, the Jammu region has overwhelmingly supported the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), leading to the party achieving its highest-ever seat count in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. The BJP has surpassed its previous best of 25 seats secured in the 2014 elections, when it aligned with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to form the first government in J&K.
The BJP recorded a vote share of 25.64%, outpacing the single largest party, the National Conference (NC), which garnered 23.43%. The Congress party received 11.97% of the votes, while the PDP trailed with 8.87%.
Following the conclusion of the second phase of the Assembly elections, the BJP redirected its campaign efforts exclusively toward the Jammu region in anticipation of the third phase. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other prominent BJP campaigners emphasized during their rallies that “Jammu will decide the next government in J&K,” a strategy that appears to have paid off.
In the third phase, 24 Assembly seats were contested in the Jammu region, particularly in areas such as Jammu, Samba, Kathua, and Udhampur. The BJP achieved a clean sweep in these constituencies, winning 22 out of the 24 seats.
Overall, the BJP won 29 out of the total 43 seats in the Jammu region. However, internal surveys conducted by the party had anticipated securing between 29 to 33 seats in the Assembly elections and were counting on independents and smaller Kashmir-based parties to help form the government.
