LS polls, development, political situation to figure
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Members of Parliament (MPs) of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from North Zone including Jammu and Kashmir on August 3 in New Delhi to discuss preparations for Lok Sabha elections, development carried out by them in last over four years of the Government and other issues.
The meeting of North Zone MPs has been scheduled for 7.30 pm at the Parliament House.
The Prime Minister will meet NDA MPs of all Zones at different timings on different days to interact with them, take their feedback and give them suggestions for upcoming Lok Sabha elections in April-May next year.
The North Zone comprised States and Union Territories including Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and New Delhi among others.
Party sources said not only the BJP but its allies MPs, who are part of NDA, have also been invited for the meeting. The invited MPs include both from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The BJP has two MPs in Jammu and Kashmir including Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma, who represent Udhampur and Jammu Lok Sabha seats. Rest three Lok Sabha MPs in the Union Territory belonged to the National Conference.
Four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir are vacant since February 2021 when all sitting MPs had completed their term. Rajya Sabha seats from J&K couldn’t be filled in the absence of Legislature as the Legislative Assembly was kept in suspended animation in June 2018 and dissolved in November the same year following withdrawal of support to Mehbooba Mufti-led Government by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
From the Union Territory of Ladakh, lone BJP member of Lok Sabha Jamyang Tsering Namgayal will attend the meeting.
Ladakh has only one Lok Sabha seat.
Of total six Lok Sabha seats in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, BJP and National Conference have three each.
Party sources said the Prime Minister is likely to discuss preparations for Lok Sabha elections with the NDA MPs and political scenario prevailing in their States/Union Territories.
He is also expected to take feedback from the MPs on development works in their constituencies, both completed and ongoing, and their status. He is expected to give some tips to them for carrying out further development works in their constituencies.
“The Prime Minister will have detailed interaction with the Members of Parliament and will also host dinner for them,” the party sources said.
Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be held in April-May 2024. The BJP had secured absolute majority on its own in 2014 and 2019 Parliamentary polls and in 2024 it is hoping to achieve third straight victory.
Earlier this month, BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda had held meetings with State/UT presidents and general secretaries (Organizations) of different zones including North Zone separately to take assessment of political activities and party’s preparations for Parliament polls besides the States where Assembly elections are due.
Though Assembly polls are also due in Jammu and Kashmir, the chances that they will be held this year are remote. However, the Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies elections are expected to be held between October and December this year.
There are five Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir and the BJP has won two of them for two consecutive terms and is eyeing victory there for third time. It was also aiming third seat South Kashmir-Poonch after declaration of Paharis as Scheduled Tribes.
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