First list to be released after Board meeting
J&K Incharges, Sr. leaders called to both sittings
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 21: The BJP Central Election Committee (CEC) and Parliamentary Board will meet in New Delhi on August 23 and 24 respectively to finalize the party candidates for Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. First list of the candidates is expected to be released after the Parliamentary Board meeting.
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Top party leaders told the Excelsior that the CEC meeting is scheduled to be held in the party office on August 23 and it will be chaired by BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda. Besides the CEC members, who include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, special invitees to the meeting include Election Incharges Ram Madhav and G Kishan Reddy, two MPs from J&K Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and Jugal Kishore Sharma, Tarun Chugh and Ashish Sood, Incharge and co-Incharge UT, J&K party president Ravinder Raina and general secretary (organizations) Ashok Koul.
BL Santosh, national general secretary (organizations), is also a key member of the Central Election Committee.
The Central Election Committee will discuss the names of party candidates for all three phase of elections but may release the list for first two phase of elections scheduled to be held on September 18 and 25.
The Central high command had earlier deputed Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy and Dr Jitendra Singh and national general secretary Tarun Chugh, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir for carrying out two-day long exercise for screening names of the candidates for all 90 seats of the Union Territory. The exercise has already been completed by the Committee.
“Now, the Screening Committee will discuss the candidates further in New Delhi in its meeting on August 23. The Parliamentary Board of the BJP will finalize some of the candidates at least for two phases if not all in its meeting on August 24,” the party leaders said.
The Parliamentary Board of the BJP comprised among others Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior Ministers and leaders of the party including BL Santosh.
In the Parliamentary Board meeting also, Dr Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma, the two party MPs from the UT besides Ravinder Raina and Ashok Koul are expected to be present as special invitees.
As per the senior party leaders, the first list of candidates is expected to be released by the BJP after the Parliamentary Board meeting in New Delhi. Most likely, the BJP could release the list of candidates for first two phases of Assembly elections.
A total of 50 seats will go to polls in first two phases including 24 in Phase-I and 26 in Phase-II. Rest 40 seats will have voting in third and last phase on October 1. August 27 is the last date for filing of nomination papers for first phase of polling.
“After release of the list of candidates, the BJP will formally launch its election campaign in the UT in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to address several rallies in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir,” the party leaders said.
In 2014 Assembly elections, the BJP won 25 seats, all in the Jammu region and the tally subsequently went to 26 with party rebel Pawan Gupta, who emerged victorious from Udhampur, returning to the party-fold. However, there has been an increase of six seats in Jammu division after delimitation of Assembly constituencies.
The BJP is expected to contest majority of 90 Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir. There are indications that the party might leave few seats for Independents in the Kashmir valley.
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