Shah to address first public meeting in Jind after abrogation of Article 370

Union Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah is all set to address his first public meeting after the Centre scrapped Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir at Haryana's Jind on August 16, a day after 73rd Independence Day.

His rally is being considered as BJP's launch of the election campaign for the upcoming Assembly polls. Elections to the 90-member Assembly are due in the state later this year.

"This would be Shah's first rally after the abrogation of Article 370. So people and party cadres are enthusiastic about it," Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala told ANI.

He said the people across four adjoining districts would attend the rally, which is going to witness a record presence.

The rally has been organised by former Union Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh at the Eklavya Stadium where he had joined the BJP in 2014.

Besides Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Union Minister and Haryana's election in-charges Narendra Singh Tomar and several other senior leaders would attend the rally.

Shah's rally assumes significance as it is happening ahead of the announcement of dates for the Haryana assembly elections.

Shah through this rally would charge the party workers and also set the tone of the party's election campaign.

Dronacharya Awardee Mahavir Singh Phogat and his Olympian daughter Babit had recently joined the BJP. Several other leaders have joined the saffron camp ahead of the election.

Under the leadership of Khattar, the BJP swept all 10 parliamentary seats with 58 per cent vote share in 2019 General Elections.

In 2014 elections, BJP had won 47 of the in 90-member Assembly seats dethroning two-time Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and decimated the Congress to just 15 seats.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) secured 19 and 2 seats respectively.

This election Haryana is going to witness a multi-cornered contest as the Congress is all set to contest alone. The INLD is also likely to contest the elections all alone.

Newly formed Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) of former MP Dushyant Chautala recently forged an alliance with the BSP.