BJP Announces Fresh Candidates for J&K Assembly Polls, Replaces Kavinder Gupta

The BJP has released a new list of 10 candidates for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, including controversial figure Vikram Randhawa. This list replaces former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta with Randhawa for the Bahu seat. The BJP aims to secure seats in Kashmir for the first time.

The BJP on Sunday released a new list of 10 candidates for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls. One notable change includes the replacement of ex-deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta with former member of legislative council Vikram Randhawa from the Bahu seat in Jammu district.

Gupta was originally elected from Gandhi Nagar, renamed as Bahu, during the 2014 elections. This move comes as the BJP releases its sixth list for the third phase of elections, naming 62 candidates so far, with 20 for the Kashmir Valley, a region where the party has yet to open its account in assembly elections.

Randhawa has faced controversies between 2019 and 2021, including two FIRs and public apologies for his actions. The latest list also features former MLA R S Pathania, ex-bureaucrat Bharat Bhushan, and other candidates for various reserved seats. The elections will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1 across Jammu and Kashmir.

(With inputs from agencies.)