BJP to support Apni Party, PC, DPAP in Kashmir LS seats

Jammu, Apr 22: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) high command has decided to extend support to candidates contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections against the National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Congress in the three Lok Sabha seats of Kashmir, according to highly placed sources within the party.
A reliable source within the BJP, who requested anonymity, informed Rising Kashmir that the party will soon issue an official appeal urging the people of Kashmir to vote against candidates fielded by the NC, PDP, and Congress. The appeal will encourage voters to support candidates contesting against these parties.
This official appeal from the BJP can be seen as support for parties such as Jammu Kashmir Apni Party led by Altaf Bukhari, Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) led by Ghulam Nabi Azad and People’s Conference led by Sajad Lone, whose candidates will be contesting against the NC, PDP and Congress.
Earlier, reports from Rising Kashmir had exclusively revealed that the BJP would not field its candidate for the newly created Rajouri-Poonch-Anantnag seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Instead, the party will support candidates from other parties for the Srinagar and Baramulla Lok Sabha seats as well.
The Rajouri-Poonch-Anantnag seat was formed after delimitation, with Rajouri and Poonch previously being part of the Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat. The BJP had secured victories in the erstwhile Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch Lok Sabha seat in both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and senior NC leader Mian Altaf have already filed their nominations from the Rajouri-Poonch-Anantnag seat.
It is worth mentioning that elections for the 5 Lok Sabha seats of Jammu and Kashmir UT will be conducted in 5 phases, with the first phase already held for the Kathua-Udhampur-Doda seat on April 19.