PM Modi to lead BJP’s poll campaign in J&K; Amit Shah, Yogi among other star campaigners

SRINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the BJP’s campaign in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections being held in three phases from September 18 after a gap of ten years.

Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, party chief Jagat Prakash Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are among other star campaigners as per a list submitted to the Election Commission of India (ECI) by the party for the first phase of assembly elections.

A letter written to the ECI by Arun Singh, BJP’s national general secretary (in-charge headquarters), says that the list may be treated as valid for the remaining two phases of the elections -September 25 and October 1- as well unless the party forwards an amended one within the prescribed time limit.

Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Manohar Lal Khattar, G Kishan Reddy, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Jitendra Singh and former union ministers Anurag Thakur and Smriti Irani and General (Retd.) V K Singh besides Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur are other prominent faces who will visit J&K for the campaigning.

Former BJP general secretary and RSS functionary Ram Madhav who was recently appointed as the party’s in-charge for the Assembly elections in J&K along with Union Minister G Kishan Reddy also figures in the list of its star campaigners. BJP national general secretary (in-charge J&K) Tarun Chugh, J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina, his deputy Sofi Yousuf (who has been fielded by the party on the Srigufwara-Bijbehera seat), Lok Sabha member Jugal Kishore Sharma, Rajya Sabha member Ghulam Ali Khatana, former deputy chief ministers Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta, and General Secretary (organization) Ashok Kaul too will be campaigning for the party.

Meanwhile, G. Kishan Reddy in a post on ‘X’ wished the contesting party candidates success. He also said that Prime Minister Mr. Modi’s transformative policies will lead the BJP to a decisive victory in these elections. He said, “Best wishes to all BJP candidates contesting in the upcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir. I am confident that the transformative policies of the Narendra Modi government will resonate with the people of J&K, leading to a decisive victory for the BJP.”

The three-phased J&K Assembly elections are scheduled for September 18, 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 4.