Jammu:

Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina on Thursday filed his nomination papers from the Nowshera Assembly constituency in Rajouri district.

Mr Raina held a roadshow in Nowshera with RSS functionary and former BJP general secretary Ram Madhav. This marks Mr Raina’s second contest from the seat.

“This isn’t just my candidacy, it represents the aspirations of 1.25 lakh people of the Nowshera constituency. It is their mandate and the voice of the people. The overwhelming turnout here, reminiscent of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji’s rallies, shows BJP’s imminent victory,” Mr Raina said during a public rally.

Mr Raina thanked the people for their support, asserting that the massive turnout was a promising sign for the BJP’s prospects in the elections.

“The people of Nowshera await us with even greater enthusiasm,” he added.

Expressing confidence in the BJP’s victory in the polls, Mr Raina said he was hopeful that the party would form government with a majority.

Mr Raina also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his alliance partner National Conference for allegedly disrespecting the region’s Maharajas.

“The people of Jammu and Kashmir will respond to the Congress and its allies,” he asserted.

He further denounced the alleged remarks against tribals by some NC leaders and said the people would teach them a lesson in the elections.

Madhav urged voters to support BJP for continued peace, progress, and development.

“BJP will emerge as the single-largest party in Jammu… Our candidates contesting in the valley are strong and poised to lead in the elections,” Madhav said.

“The forthcoming government in Jammu and Kashmir will be of nationalists, not anti-nationals,” he added.

Mr Raina,47, who previously won from Nowshera in the 2014 polls, has been nominated once again from his home constituency. He took over as BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir president in May 2018.

Mr Raina’s primary opponent is former MLC Surinder Choudhary, who joined the National Conference in July 2023 after over a year with the BJP.

In the 2008 elections, National Conference candidate Radhay Sham Sharma secured the seat. In 2002, Congress candidate Romesh Chander Sharma won the seat.

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in three phases with voting for the first phase to be held on September 18 followed by the second phase on September 25 and the third phase on October 1. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jammu:

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will not form any pre-poll alliance in Jammu and Kashmir, state party president Ravinder Raina said here.

He, however, said discussions are ongoing with 8 to 10 independents in the Kashmir valley for contesting the elections together.

He said the party is fully geared up for Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and will announce the first list of candidates soon.

“The BJP will have no pre-poll alliance with any political party in Jammu and Kashmir,” Mr Raina told reporters here.

“We are in talks with 8 to 10 independent candidates in the Kashmir Valley. If these discussions materialise, we will formulate a strategy to contest the elections jointly,” he said.

The BJP will field its candidates in the Kashmir valley and win the elections with a majority, he said.

“We will contest the majority of seats in Jammu and Kashmir. However, we are working on a strategy for joint contest with some independent candidates in Kashmir (Valley),” he said. “The BJP will have a big victory in J&K and will form its government in the union territory.”

On former minister Choudhary Zulfikar Ali joining the BJP, Mr Raina said he is a prominent leader with a strong support base in the Rajouri-Poonch belt. “The BJP will receive a significant boost from his inclusion.”

Responding to former chief minister Omar Abdullah’s statement on Article 370, Mr Raina said Mr Abdullah’s party is losing ground in Jammu and Kashmir, which is why he is issuing such remarks.

Mr Abdullah stated on Saturday that as its first action after the Assembly polls in the Union Territory, the Jammu and Kashmir House would pass a resolution against the Centre’s decision to revoke Article 370. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jammu:

Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina on Tuesday expelled a senior party leader for “hate speech” and “using unparliamentary language” during an election meeting in Poonch district.

Poonch district is part of the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency where the elections were rescheduled for May 25 by the Election Commission.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference leader Mian Altaf are in a direct contest from the constituency. Prominent among 19 other candidates in the fray include Mohammad Saleem Parray of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) and J&K Apni Party leader Zafar Iqbal Khan Manhas.

Raina ordered expulsion of Poonch district spokesperson Satish Bhargav from the party’s primary membership for a period of six years for “gross indiscipline” and using “unparliamentary language and hate speech”.

The J&K BJP chief passed the order on the basis of the recommendation by Sunil Sethi, the chairman of the party’s disciplinary committee.

Sethi referred to a video of Bhargav making hate speech threatening and using unparliamentary language in a meeting at Mendhar area of Poonch district.

“It is highly deplorable and such behaviour by a senior leader is gross indiscipline and cannot be tolerated in a disciplined party like the BJP. It is as such recommended that he should be immediately expelled from the party for six years,” Sethi said, adding “enquiry is not needed in the matter as his conduct is recorded”.

Meanwhile, the PDP lodged a complaint with the returning officer for the constituency against the BJP for “intimidation tactics” to force the people to vote for the Apni Party candidate.

“It has come to our attention that there have been alarming instances of intimidation and threats targeting Pahari Muslims, aimed at influencing their voting choices,” PDP leader and former MLC Firdous Tak said in his complaint.

“Specifically, it has been reported that representatives of the BJP have been openly making threats towards Pahari Muslims, suggesting that a repetition of the events of 1947 could occur if they fail to vote for the candidate backed by the Sangh Parivar i.e Apni Party,” he added in his complaint.

Tak, who is also a member of the powerful political affairs committee of the party, forwarded the video of Bhargav and said “such reprehensible tactics not only violate the principles of free and fair elections but also undermine the democratic process by instilling fear and coercion among the voters”.

Demanding a thorough investigation into the matter, the PDP leader asked for appropriate measures to guarantee the safety and security of all voters, particularly those who may be vulnerable to such intimidation tactics.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)