BJP Leader Gulam Ali Khatana Hopes for Victory in Jammu and Kashmir Elections
BJP leader Gulam Ali Khatana, a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from Jammu and Kashmir, has expressed hope that the people would give the party a chance in the assembly polls in the Union Territory next month.
According to the Election Commission of India, the polling in the UT will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, while the counting of the votes will take place on October 4.
“The BJP has a parliamentary board. An election committee has been formed in Jammu and Kashmir. I am one of its members. The important thing is that the BJP is contesting elections here,” the BJP leader said.
He said that the BJP “believes in democracy.” “The commitments made by the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and Home Minister (Amit Shah) and the Supreme Court’s (deadline to hold elections by September), are being held,” he remarked.
He expressed hope that the people would give the party a chance to form the government in the Union Territory. “Hopefully, people will give us a chance,” he said.
These are the first elections to be held in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kashmir in March and announced development packages worth crores to boost agriculture and tourism.
The election body has directed the enforcement agencies to be impartial and transparent for smooth and fair polling, ensuring a level playing field.
There are a total of 90 assembly constituencies, of which 74 are general, nine are ST, and seven are SC. There are 87.09 lakh total electors, including 44.46 lakh male, 42.62 lakh female, 169 transgender, 82,590 PwDs, 73,943 very senior citizens, 2,660 centenarians, 76,092 service electors, and 3.71 lakh first-time voters.
Jammu and Kashmir will witness elections after a gap of ten years, as the last assembly election was held in 2014. The PDP-BJP coalition government fell in June 2018 when the latter withdrew support to the then-Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti.
In December of last year, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to conclude the election process by September 30, 2024.
Doubts Revealed
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party. It is one of the major political parties in India.
Gulam Ali Khatana -: Gulam Ali Khatana is a leader from the BJP and a member of the Rajya Sabha, which is the upper house of India’s Parliament.
Rajya Sabha -: Rajya Sabha is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Members are elected by the elected members of State Legislative Assemblies.
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in northern India. It used to be a state but is now a Union Territory.
Union Territory -: A Union Territory is a type of administrative division in India, which is directly governed by the Central Government.
Article 370 -: Article 370 was a part of the Indian Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. It was removed in 2019.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi -: Narendra Modi is the current Prime Minister of India. He is a member of the BJP.
Home Minister Amit Shah -: Amit Shah is the current Home Minister of India. He is also a member of the BJP.
