J&K polls: BJP withdraws 1st list of candidates shortly after releasing it
The BJP’s first list of candidates for the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) assembly elections included the nominees for the last two phases of the polls that were meant to be released later
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday withdrew its first list of candidates for the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) assembly elections shortly after releasing it as it included the nominees for the last two phases of the polls that were meant to be released later, people aware of the matter said.
The list was removed from BJP’s website and WhatsApp groups. The people cited above said the list for the first phase of polling on September 18 will be amended and released afresh. “The list was withdrawn because only the names for the first phase were to be released. However, the names [of nominees] for the other two phases were released,” said a person aware of the matter.
The list was issued a day before the last date for nominations for the first phase. Assembly elections in J&K, the first there since 2014, will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1. It is the first major electoral exercise in the region after the 2024 national elections. The counting of votes will take place on October 4.
The rescinded list included Devender Singh Rana (Nagrota), who defected to BJP after quitting the National Conference (NC) in 2021. It had names of 15 nominees for the first phase, 10 for the second phase, and 19 for the third phase.
{{/usCountry}}The rescinded list included Devender Singh Rana (Nagrota), who defected to BJP after quitting the National Conference (NC) in 2021. It had names of 15 nominees for the first phase, 10 for the second phase, and 19 for the third phase.
{{/usCountry}}The list included nominees for Kashmir Valley’s Pampore, Shopian, and Anantnag. The BJP did not field any candidates in the Lok Sabha polls for the three seats in the Valley. It won both Lok Sabha seats in the Jammu region.
{{/usCountry}}The list included nominees for Kashmir Valley’s Pampore, Shopian, and Anantnag. The BJP did not field any candidates in the Lok Sabha polls for the three seats in the Valley. It won both Lok Sabha seats in the Jammu region.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP’s Central Election Committee met on Sunday to finalise the candidates for the J&K assembly polls. The party won 25 of the 87 seats when assembly elections were last held in J&K 2014 and formed the government with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which bagged 28 seats. The NC got 15 seats while its ally Congress had 12.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP’s Central Election Committee met on Sunday to finalise the candidates for the J&K assembly polls. The party won 25 of the 87 seats when assembly elections were last held in J&K 2014 and formed the government with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which bagged 28 seats. The NC got 15 seats while its ally Congress had 12.
{{/usCountry}}The rescinded list included eight candidates from Kashmir and 36 from Jammu. Former minister Choudhary Zulfikar, who quit the Apni Party to join the BJP, was named as the candidate from Budhal. Former legislator Akram Choudhary was nominated from Gulabgarh.
Syed Mushtaq Bukhari, a former NC minister, was given the ticket from Surankote in Poonch. Former PDP legislator Murtuza Khan was fielded from Mendhar. Shyam Lal Shama, who defected from Congress to BJP, was given the ticket from Jammu West. Surjit Singh Salathia, a former NC leader, was named BJP’s candidate from Samba.
The polls in J&K will be held months after the Union government in July widened the scope of J&K lieutenant governor’s (LG) powers from police and public order to postings and prosecution sanctions. Parties such as NC condemned the move calling it the step to rendering the chief minister in J&K “powerless” and disempowering the region’s people.
J&K has been without an elected government since June 2018 when the BJP withdrew support to the PDP-led coalition government. The region was under the governor’s rule before the Union government in August 2019 revoked Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave the region semi-autonomous status, and bifurcated the erstwhile state into the Union Territories of J&K with an assembly and Ladakh without one.
In December last year, the Supreme Court upheld the revocation of Article 370 and directed the Election Commission of India to conduct polls for the 90-member J&K assembly by September 30, 2024. The court asked the Union government to restore statehood to the region “as soon as possible”.
In May 2022, a three-member delimitation commission redrew the electoral map of J&K, earmarking 43 seats to the Hindu-majority Jammu region and 47 to Muslim-majority Kashmir. Out of the seven new seats, six were allotted to Jammu and one to Kashmir. The regional parties rejected the panel’s decision calling it an attempt to consolidate BJP’s vote bank.
