Home Minister Amit Shah’s two-day visit to Srinagar, despite his busy schedule amid hectic elsewhere in the country, caught political circles by surprise in the Union territory, where the BJP has not fielded a single candidate from any of the three Lok Sabha seats.
Shah is expected to arrive in Srinagar this evening to hold a high-level security-review meeting. The local BJP unit of announced on X the home minister would be meeting various delegations, including BJP leaders during his visit.
A BJP leader said in Srinagar that Amit Shah would chair a meeting to review arrangements for the upcoming Amarnath pilgrimage and would meet the delegations of Gujjars, Bakerwals, and Paharis, who have a large presence in the Anantnag and Baramulla Lok Sabha constituencies for which polling is yet to take place.
Although the BJP has not fielded its own candidates in Kashmir, its leaders are campaigning against the NC, PDP, and Congress and seeking votes for candidates of like-minded parties like the Apni Party and the Peoples Conference.
Reacting to Shah’s visit, National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah, who is also the party’s candidate for the Baramulla seat, told media persons during his campaign. “Don’t you feel strange that the home minister is coming for two days in the midst of his hectic campaign to Kashmir where the BJP has not fielded its candidate? They have perhaps realised that the NC has won the Srinagar seat for which polling was held on 13 May and that is why the BJP leadership will now try to damage the NC. People are with us and we will do well also in Baramulla and Anantnag seats”, Omar added.
PDP chief and party’s candidate for Anantnag Mehbooba Mufti said Shah’s visit triggered apprehensions among the people as the Amarnath pilgrimage is scheduled in July. People are wondering why the home minister has suddenly decided to visit Kashmir. She said that BJP has fielded its proxies in these elections and cautioned the centre not to try to repeat the past mistake of subverting the election process like that in 1987 as such action will have serious consequences.
PDP leader and former minister Naeem Akhtar wrote on X; “In the middle of a crucial election, visiting Kashmir where the party isn’t even fielding candidates! Hope everything is alright”.
Shah’s visit to Srinagar is coming ahead of polling for the Baramulla and Anantnag seats on 20 and 25 May. There were reports that he would also review the poll strategy with local BJP leaders and members of the tribal communities that have benefited from the government recently granting them Scheduled Tribe (ST) status and 10% reservation in jobs.