BJP To Begin Panchayat Election Campaign From South Kashmir

Srinagar: Bharatiya Janata Party shall begin its Panchayat election campaign from south Kashmir.

The campaign will be kicked off by BJP senior leader and party general secretary (organizations) Ashok Kaul.

“He will visit south Kashmir districts to start the Panchayat election campaign,” a senior party leader told on the condition of anonymity.

He said there won’t be any public rallies.

“He will hold meeting at district headquarters with party leaders and office bearers.”

The senior leader said the district cadre will run the campaign but the party has decided not go for public gatherings because of the prevailing situation.

“We don’t want the participants are harmed in any way,” he said.

“The district cadre will garner the support for Panchayat candidates respectively without such gatherings.”

The Panchayat and municipality elections, he said form the very basic structure of democracy at the ground level.

“Elections to urban local bodies will boost the democratic fabric of the state by providing administration at the doorsteps of the common individual,” he said.

He said they had formulated a “fool-proof strategy to cement party’s win in the local elections.”

Post unrest triggered by the killing of Burhan Wani in 2016, National Conference, PDP, Congress and other mainstream parties have not been successful in organizing any major—or even moderately big—function in South Kashmir.

Party insiders said that during a recent meeting at Jammu in which arrangements for visit of BJP national general secretary and party’s point-man on Jammu and Kashmir Ram Madhav were finalised, strategy to contest Panchayat election in Kashmir was also discussed threadbare.

“Most of the party leaders agreed that there is aggressive camping for panchayat elections in Kashmir,” he said adding that strategy has been chalked out in this regard.

“Ashok Kaul is coming on 23 July and he will remain in Kashmir for three days,” BJP, spokesman Altaf Thakur said here.

He said Kaul will visit some districts in connection with Panchayat elections, but the places have not been decided as yet.

The party will also soon announce a committee for Panchayat and municipal elections in Kashmir.

“State unit of BJP will soon announce names of members of the committee,” the senior BJP leader said, adding that members of the committee will visit the targeted areas, note the details of ground situation and requirements and prepare detailed report for discussion.

He said for Jammu, the party has formed an eight-member committee for the upcoming panchayat and municipal elections. (GK)