Rajnath Singh to join BJP’s election campaign in J&K on Sunday

JAMMU: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will arrive here on Sunday to join BJP’s election campaign for the three-phase Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir starting September 18, a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah wrapped up his two-day visit to the Union Territory.

BJP sources said that Rajnath Singh will address an election rally in Ramban at 12.30 p.m. before addressing another rally in Banihal at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

BJP has drawn up an extensive poll campaign involving the top leaders of the party, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, party President J.P. Nadda, and a battery of Union Ministers and Chief Ministers of other states.

PM Modi is expected to address three rallies in J&K, two in Jammu division and one in the Valley.

Addressing an election rally in Jammu on Saturday, Amit Shah told a large gathering that the BJP is going to fight the upcoming Assembly polls with all its heart and might, sounding confident of emerging as winners.

BJP has appointed Union Minister G.K. Reddy as its election incharge for J&K besides bringing in Ram Madhav to handle the party’s poll campaign in the Union Territory.

Madhav has handled J&K for the BJP in the past as well. BJP’s massive victory in the Jammu division in 2014 was largely attributed to Madhav’s expert handling of the party’s affairs in J&K.

In the last J&K Assembly that had 74 seats, the BJP won 25 seats while the PDP managed 28 in the elections held in 2014.

The two parties formed a coalition government which collapsed in June 2018 after the BJP pulled out of the alliance, prompting then Governor Satya Pal Malik to impose Governor’s Rule before dissolving the Assembly.

On August 5, 2019, J&K was bifurcated into two Union Territories — J&K and Ladakh — after the abrogation of Article 370 which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

After delimitation, the J&K Assembly now has 90 seats — 47 in the Valley and 43 in the Jammu division — which will go to the polls in three phase, on September 18, September 25, and October 1.

The results will be out on October 8. (IANS)