Striding In Confidence? BJP Urges Election Commission To Hold Early Assembly Polls In J&K, Says Ram Madhav

The BJP has asked the Election Commission (EC) to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) as early as possible, revealed the party’s general secretary Ram Madhav, reports India Today.

He also slammed the two main Kashmiri parties, the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for not pushing for the same.

"Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are contesting the Lok Sabha elections and they are happy with that. But we want early assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir," Madhav stated.

Farooq Abdullah is contesting from the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency while Mehbooba Mufti is looking to get elected from Anantnag.

The BJP general secretary also maintained that his party’s stance regarding Articles 370 and 35A of the constitution continues to be the same as before.

Previously, Madhav had remarked that the BJP was hopeful of increasing its tally in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in comparison to its performance in 2014.

The BJP leader also took the opportunity to criticise the NC and Congress alliance in J&K, calling the seat-sharing arrangement between them a ‘drama’ as the two partners were cooperating in the Jammu region while being at loggerheads in the valley.

Madhav said that the BJP would pick up two seats in Jammu and another one in Ladakh.