J&K Assembly Polls: BJP Names 29 More Candidates, Keeps Key Seats in Nowshera and Gandhinagar Pending
Devender Singh Rana to Contest from Nagrota as BJP Expands J&K Candidate List to 45
JAMMU, Aug 27: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday expanded its candidate list for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections by naming 29 more candidates, raising the total number of announced nominees to 45. The announcement is part of the party’s strategic preparations for the first Assembly elections in the Union Territory since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
Among the prominent figures fielded by the BJP is Devender Singh Rana, a significant political leader from the Nagrota constituency. Rana’s inclusion is seen as a key move, given his influence and the importance of the Nagrota seat. In Billawar, the BJP has nominated Satish Sharma, a new candidate replacing former Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, who represented the constituency in the 2014 Assembly polls. This change reflects the party’s strategy to inject fresh faces while also balancing experience within its ranks.
A notable adjustment from the previously announced, now-rescinded list, involves the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi constituency, where Baldev Raj Sharma has been named as the BJP candidate, replacing Rohit Dubey. The withdrawal and reissue of the list indicate the party’s careful consideration of electoral dynamics in crucial constituencies. The rest of the names remain unchanged, continuing from the list that was temporarily withdrawn on Monday.
The BJP’s latest candidate list includes 10 nominees for the second phase of polling and 19 for the third phase. These candidates will play a critical role as the BJP seeks to expand its foothold in the region. However, the party has yet to finalize candidates for the Nowshera and Gandhinagar constituencies. In 2014, Nowshera was represented by the current state BJP president, Ravinder Raina, while Gandhinagar was held by senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta. The delay in naming candidates for these key seats suggests ongoing internal deliberations within the party.
The Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, marking a significant political event in the region’s history. The 90-member Assembly will be the first to be elected after the bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories—Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh—following the revocation of the region’s special status. These elections are expected to be closely watched, as they will determine the political future of Jammu and Kashmir in a new administrative framework. The BJP’s candidate announcements are a critical step in shaping its campaign and strengthening its position in this crucial electoral battle.
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