Upbeat by the results of Lok Sabha polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday said that the “people have set their narrative” as the party is aggressively preparing for the upcoming Assembly elections in the Union Territory while Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are engaged in revamping of their parties.
BJP held the party’s executive meeting in Jammu in view of the Assembly elections in the Union Territory.
The meeting was attended by Union Ministers Jitendra Singh, G Kishan Reddy, Jammu and Kashmir BJP President Ravinder Raina and BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh along with other party leaders.
Tarun Chugh told ANI that by defeating former J-K Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti in the Lok Sabha elections, “the people have shown their narrative”.
“BJP is holding meetings across the country. Tomorrow there will be the party’s executive meeting for which National President JP Nadda is coming here. Meetings will be held here for three days. By defeating Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and the Gandhi-Nehru family, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have shown that their narrative, Pakistan’s agenda will not work here,” Chugh said.
“The whole of Jammu and Kashmir is one and the responsibility of every citizen here is ours. Today Jammu and Kashmir has become a tourism capital and a state of peace under the leadership of PM Modi,” he added.
The BJP has appointed Union Minister G Kishan Reddy as state election in charge for J-K.
Coming out of the meeting, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said, “After the Lok Sabha elections across the country, we have decided to hold an executive meeting of the state workers. Tomorrow party president JP Nadda will also reach here and guide the workers.”
Meanwhile, the BJP National President will visit the Union Territory on July 6 in view of the Assembly elections.
Ravinder Rana, BJP Jammu and Kashmir Chief said on Thursday that the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir will be from the BJP.
“BJP National President JP Nadda is visiting Jammu and Kashmir on July 6. BJP’s nationwide victory in the Lok Sabha elections was significant but victory in Jammu and Kashmir added momentum to the party. BJP has consecutively won both seats in the Jammu division for the third time,” he said.
The BJP-led government scrapped Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 and bifurcated the state into two union territories. There have been demands from political parties for early assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and restoration of statehood.
Former J-K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference also held a two-day working committee meeting on Wednesday in view of the Assembly elections.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Thursday that he has no doubt that the Assembly elections will be conducted in the Union Territory very soon and his party (National Conference) is fully prepared for it.
“This is the expectation of the people that assembly elections will be conducted within the timeframe set by the Supreme Court. National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah has called a two-day working committee meeting regarding this. We have been instructed to find ways to strengthen the party and prepare for the upcoming elections. The current situation in the Union Territory was also discussed. Jammu and Kashmir is being troubled in every possible way,” Abdullah said.
“A few days ago, the Prime Minister visited here and assured the people that assembly elections would be held soon. The Election Commission has stated that the elections will be conducted soon. I don’t think there is any doubt about it, and we are fully prepared,” he added.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had asked the Election Commission of India and the Centre to conduct polls by September.
Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Srinagar had said preparations for assembly polls had begun in the UT.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said “time is not far” when the people of Jammu and Kashmir will elect a new government in assembly polls and indicated that statehood will be resorted soon to the Union Territory.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir elect their representatives at the local level, through them you find ways to solve problems, what can be better than this? Therefore, now the preparations for the Assembly elections have also started. The time is not far when you will elect the new government of Jammu and Kashmir with your votes. That day will also come soon when Jammu and Kashmir will once again make its future better as a state,” he said.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar earlier said that the J-K Assembly polls will be held after the Lok Sabha elections.
In the last assembly elections held in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014, the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party-led by Mehbooba Mufti won 28 seats while the BJP won 25.
Jammu & Kashmir National Conference led by Omar Abdullah won 15 seats and Congress won 12. (ANI)
