BJP CEC Meet on Aug. 25 To Discuss J&K, Haryana Picks

 New Delhi: The Central Election Committee (CEC) of the BJP is expected to convene on August 25 to finalise candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, and Haryana. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend the meeting to be chaired by BJP president J.P. Nadda.

The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is set to hold a three-phase election starting on September 18, while polling in Haryana is scheduled for October 1. The counting of votes for both states will take place on October 4.

For the Jammu and Kashmir elections, the BJP has appointed RSS leader and former national general secretary of the party, Ram Madhav, along with Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, as election in-charges. The appointment of Madhav has raised eyebrows within the party, as he had been "sent back" to the RSS, where he was placed in the "other" central committee — a group comprising senior RSS leaders who are not part of the main central team. Madhav previously served as the BJP's in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir after the 2014 elections when the party formed a government in alliance with the PDP. He was later given charge of the North-East region but appeared to have fallen out of favour with the BJP leadership after 2019, as his name was notably absent when new office bearers were announced in 2020. The BJP currently faces a leadership crisis in Jammu and Kashmir and is struggling to find strong candidates to compete against regional parties like the National Conference (NC) and the PDP.

In Haryana, a state dominated by the Jat community, the BJP has been in power for two consecutive terms. The Opposition Congress is reportedly experiencing a revival, particularly since the last Lok Sabha elections, though internal factionalism remains a significant concern for its central leadership. BJP strategists are focusing on securing anti-Jat votes, as smaller parties like the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) also command substantial Jat support.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan has been appointed as the election in-charge for Haryana, with former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb serving as co-incharge since June. As the BJP prepares for the upcoming elections, the meeting on August 25 will be crucial in determining the party's strategy and candidate lineup.