BJP hopeful of assembly elections in J&K by May next year; ECI conducting exercises [details]

Exhorting party workers to start preparations for the poll, the national general secretary of the BJP Tarun Chugh said that maiden assembly elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are likely to be held in May next year.

Chugh, who is in-charge of J&K BJP, is on a visit to both the Jammu and Kashmir regions to review preparations of the party for the coming assembly elections in the Union Territory.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a commitment to holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir and preparations by the Election Commission of India (ECI) are on", he told reporters at Srinagar on Sunday but hastened to add that decision to conduct elections has to be taken the ECI.

The BJP general secretary said that revised voter lists have already been prepared by the ECI. "We are hopeful that elections will be held in J&K so that people elect their own government in the Union Territory."

After the completion of the exercise of redrawing assembly and parliamentary constituencies by the Delimitation Commission, the ECI has completed the revision of the voter lists. "Now objections from political parties have been sought. The ECI is doing a speedy exercise in this regard and I hope that the Assembly elections will be held early," he added.

BJP is ready for assembly elections in J&K.

"Although it is the prerogative of the ECI to decide the date for holding of elections in the UT, the BJP as a party is ready for elections every time, Chugh added.

"As a party, we are working 365 days. We are ready for the polls," said and added that the party has already started preparations for the elections.

Earlier, Chugh asked BJP activists and leaders to organize public meetings right from the booth level and liaison with the people belonging to all sections of the society, look into their problems and address them.

Chugh stressed holding constituency-wise rallies by the different cells of the party to educate the people about the welfare policies of the BJP-led government at the Centre.

Won't allow Abdullahs, Muftis and Gandhis to bring Kashmir back to '90s

Chugh said that the BJP government at the Centre is taking every possible measure to bring peace, prosperity, and development in J&K.

"The BJP would not allow Abdullahs, Muftis, and Gandhis to take Kashmir back to the 1990s when terrorism was at its peak in the Valley", he asserted and alleged three dynastic political parties are desperately trying to bring violence back

He said these three dynastic political parties had made J&K "an industry of loot" and put impediments in the process of development and peace.