BJP Announces First List of Candidates for Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections

The Bhartiya Janata Party revealed its initial list of 44 candidates for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, set to be held in three phases. Key leaders attended the Central Election Committee meeting where the list was approved. The elections mark the first since the abrogation of Article 370.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday announced its first list of 44 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The list includes Syed Wazahat from Anantnag, Kuldeep Raj Dubey from Reasi, and Gajay Singh Rana from Doda. Arshid Bhat will contest from Rajpora, and Sushri Shagun Parihar will run from Kishtwar. Other candidates include Pawan Gupta from Udhampur West, Dr. Devinder Kumar Maniyal from Ramgarh (SC), and Mohan Lal Bhagat from Akhnoor. Rohit Dubey will contest from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, and Chowdhary Abdul Ghani from Poonch Haveli.

The candidates were finalized during a meeting of the BJP Central Election Committee, chaired by JP Nadda. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. According to the Election Commission of India, polling in Jammu and Kashmir will occur in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with votes counted on October 4.

The region has 90 assembly constituencies, including 7 reserved for SCs and 9 for STs. Jammu and Kashmir boasts 88.06 lakh eligible voters. In the last Assembly elections, the PDP won 28 seats, BJP secured 25, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference got 15, and Congress received 12 seats. A coalition government was formed by PDP and BJP, led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, but the alliance collapsed in 2018 after BJP withdrew support following Mehbooba Mufti's succession.

This election is significant as it is the first to be conducted in Kashmir post the abrogation of Article 370. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)