Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to unveil the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ‘Sankalp Patra’ (manifesto) on Friday for the forthcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.
The senior BJP leader, who is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, will present the manifesto at approximately 3.30 pm at a Jammu hotel, with other senior party figures in attendance.
The Union Home Minister’s visit is crucial for the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir, given the increasing challenges the party faces before the Assembly elections, including protests and defections following ticket denials.
The BJP regards the Jammu district, which has 11 Assembly constituencies, as highly significant. In the 2014 elections, the party secured nine of these seats, contributing to its overall tally of 25. So far, the BJP has announced 51 candidates for the 90-member Assembly, with polling set to commence on September 18.
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls: BJP’s list of star campaigners
On the first day of his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, Amit Shah revealed the BJP’s list of star campaigners for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.
The list features prominent figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. It also includes Union Ministers JP Nadda, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Nitin Gadkari, Manohar Lal Khattar, and G Kishan Reddy.
Additionally, Himachal Pradesh Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh, and MP Anurag Thakur will campaign for the party in the second phase of the J&K polls. The roster of 40-star campaigners also features former Amethi MP Smriti Irani.
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls: Schedule
The first phase of the elections will see 219 candidates contesting, with voting scheduled for September 18. This will be the first Assembly election in J&K since the abrogation of Article 370.
The second phase is slated for September 25, and the third phase will occur on October 1. The Election Commission of India is expected to announce the results on October 8, alongside those for Haryana.
First Published: Sep 06 2024 | 12:38 PM IST