J-K BJP to hit campaign trail from Friday; Modi, Shah to be star campaigners

The BJP in Jammu and Kashmir is banking on its star campaigners Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah to leave a mark in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, with the party planning to start its hectic campaigning from Friday.

The voting for the 17th Lok Sabha will be held over seven phases from April 11 to May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

The state has six Lok Sabha seats.

"We have drawn up the poll strategy for campaigning in Jammu and Kashmir. We will bring in many star campaigners for addressing mega rallies in the state," BJP spokesperson Priya Sethi told PTI.

She said the campaigning will begin with filing of nominations papers by two sitting MPs, Jugal Kishore Sharma and Union minister Jitendra Singh, from Jammu and Kathua on March 22.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will hit the campaign trail to support the BJP candidates in the state, Sethi said.

Apart from them, top national leaders from the BJP will also be taking out time to address election rallies in Jammu region.

Party sources said the BJP leadership and cadres will seek votes in the name of the prime minister who has "scripted the five year rule of development, peace, progress and prosperity amid strong foreign relations and commitment to deal with terror with an iron hand".

BJP state unit chief Ravinder Raina will lead the hectic two month-long campaigning in the state by addressing over 120 mega rallies, they said, adding he will cover the entire Jammu region by conducting mandal-wise rallies.

The Jammu region has a total of 37 assembly constituencies, out of which 20 are in the Jammu-Poonch parliamentary constituency and 17 in Udhampur-Doda parliamentary constituency.

Raina will be addressing election rallies in Samba, Vijaypur, Nagrota, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu East, Jammu West, Bishnah, Ranbir Singh Pura, Suchetgarh, Marh, Raipur Domana, Akhnoor, Chhamb, Nowshera, Darhal, Rajouri, Kalakot, Surankote, Mendhar and Poonch-Haveli assembly constituencies in Jammu. Poonch, Rajouri and Samba districts fall under the Jammu-Poonch parliamentary constituency.

He will also address rallies in Kishtwar, Inderwal, Doda, Bhadarwah, Ramban, Banihal, Gulabgarh, Reasi, Gool Arnas, Udhampur, Chenani, Ramnagar, Bani, Basohli, Kathua, Billawar and Hira Nagar assembly constituencies. Kishtwar, Ramban, Kathua, Doda, Reasi and Udhampur districts fall under the Udhampur-Doda parliamentary constituency.

Apart from the Jammu region, grand rallies will also be held in regions of Kashmir and Ladakh, Sethi said.

On the saffron party's plans to hold mega rallies in the state, Raina said the BJP was the "voice of common masses today", adding the party will secure more votes in its kitty than earlier.

He also termed these rallies as a "medium of mass contact for mass mobilisation".

The BJP leader said he will urge the people to participate in the upcoming general elections in large numbers and celebrate the same as a festival.

He added that he will address three to four rallies in every assembly constituency in the state to boost the morale of ground-level BJP workers.