The BJP is not contesting any Lok Sabha seat in Kashmir, but its J&K president Ravinder Raina is in Srinagar formulating the strategy with friendly parties to stop the National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from winning any of the three seats of the valley and ”show the world that the people of Kashmir have chosen Modi’s development model and rejected the hatred model of dynastic parties”.
There are reports that the BJP and its friendly parties are supporting the Apni Party candidates, Zafar Iqbal Manhas and Mohammad Ashraf Mir in the Anantnag-Rajouri and Srinagar parliamentary constituencies respectively. They are also helping the Peoples Conference (PC) chief Sajad Lone in his campaign in the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency.
NC vice-president Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti are contesting the election from Baramulla and Anantnag respectively. Congress is supporting the NC candidates in the election.
A BJP spokesman said that Ravinder Raina on Monday discussed the election strategy with BJP activists in Kashmir for the Anantnag-Rajouri, Srinagar and Baramulla Lok Sabha seats.
Sunil Sharma, former minister and general secretary and the BJP’s valley leaders Rafiq Wani, Sofi Yusif, GM Mir, Altaf Thakur, Dr Ali Mohd Mir, Dr Farida Khan, Showket Gayour, former MLC Mohammad Rafiq Shah and BJP district presidents were among those present in the meeting.
Raina said that ”The NC, Congress and PDP demonised Kashmir and demeaned the Kashmiris. They pushed the Kashmiri youth to blood bath and darkened their future by giving stones and grenades in their hands. Kashmiri culture is known for one of the best hospitality gestures in the entire world, but these political parties created fear among people outside the valley for their own selfish interests.”
He stressed that it was necessary to stop these parties from coming to power by exposing the misdeeds of these selfish organisations. He asked the party leaders and cadres from Kashmir to work in these Parliamentary elections to strengthen democracy and ask the people to vote to rule out the dynastic politics and show these parties that ”Kashmir people have chosen the development model of Modi government, rejecting the hatred model of NC, Congress, and PDP”.
Raina said the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has transformed the lives of Kashmiri youth. He said that the Modi government has given pace to the much anticipated and desired development by the locals. He said that now, the big business houses are coming to Kashmir, infrastructure is being developed and peace is being established thus putting the development wheel on the track again in the valley.