SRINAGAR: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general security Ram Madhav said on Monday that his party is ready for Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir but is awaiting the decision of Election Commission (EC).
While speaking to reporters in winter capital Jammu, he said, “We’ve asked the EC to conduct Assembly polls in the state. BJP is ready for these polls and, whenever announced, we will actively take part in the process.”
J&K was brought under Governor’s rule in June last year after the collapse of the PDP-BJP coalition government. The Governor’s rule was replaced by President’s rule in November 2018 and recently extended for another six months from July 3 after the Parliament gave its approval for it.
The 87-member J&K Assembly- thrown up by the 2014 polls- which had been kept in suspended animation was dissolved by Governor Satya Pal Malik on November 22 last year after PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, supported by the National Conference and the Congress had staked claim to form the government. Simultaneously, the two-member People’s Conference led by Sajjad Gani Lone had also staked claim to form a government with 25 members of the BJP and other 18 unknown members
Mr. Madhav said that elections to rural and urban local bodies in the State were held peacefully and that he and his party were quite confident that the Assembly polls too would be held by year end. He said, “The people from all the three regions the state — Jammu, Kashmir Valley and Ladakh have accepted the ideology of the BJP and we are sure that they will give huge mandate to us in Assembly polls so that we can form our government.” He added that senior leaders from different political parties have started joining the BJP which is indicative of its growing popularity in the state.
