Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the Kashmir valley next week to address a public meeting in South Kashmir’s Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency that the BJP is eyeing after the delimitation and subsequent granting of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Paharis of Rajouri and Poonch districts.

This will be Modi’s first visit to Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state into two Union territories (UTs) in 2019.

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Besides addressing the expected rally on 7 March, Modi might also launch various schemes focusing on the welfare measures of the Valley.

The BJP aims to establish its presence in the Kashmir valley where it is yet to secure a single Lok Sabha or assembly seat despite concerted efforts. The high-profile Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in Kashmir, which earlier included parts of the Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian districts, has been redrawn during the delimitation. As a result, segments of Rajouri and Poonch in the Jammu division have been included in the parliamentary seat.

The BJP is banking on the support of Paharis of Rajouri and Poonch who were recently granted ST status and provided reservation in jobs that were earlier available only to the Muslim Gujjar community of the area.

The seat was earlier won by the National Conference or the PDP and it is also the home constituency of Mehbooba Mufti. The seat is presently represented by Hasnain Masoodi of NC.

Modi had on 20 February addressed a public meeting in Jammu which was attended by a large number of Paharis of the two districts. The PM had also launched projects worth Rs 32,000 crore.

The BJP has so far not announced its strategy for the other two seats of the Kashmir valley that, too, are currently represented by the NC. NC chief Dr. Farooq Abdullah represents the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.

However, the BJP aims to win at least one politically significant seat in Kashmir this time.

So far, the INDIA bloc has not reached consensus on seat-sharing in J&K where the PDP and Congress are staking claim on one seat each in Kashmir. The NC is adamant on contesting all the three seats that the party won in the last general election. NC leader Omar Abdullah has already said that discussion among the INDIA alliance will now be only on the two seats of Jammu that the BJP represents and the one seat of Ladakh that was won by the saffron party.

However, the local leadership of the Congress has challenged Omar’s claim and asserted that all the six Lok Sabha seats of J&K and Ladakh are open for debate among the INDIA bloc allies.