BJP not fielding candidates from Kashmir because it is weak in Valley: Cong

PTI, Apr 21, 2024, 5:18 PM IST

The BJP is not fielding any candidate on the three Lok Sabha seats in the Kashmir region because it is weak there, Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Vikar Rasool Wani said on Sunday while exuding confidence that his party will win both the seats in the Jammu region.

If the INDIA bloc comes to power at the Centre, it will protect ”culture, jobs and land”, restore statehood and hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

A day earlier, the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit chief Ravinder Raina defended the decision of not fielding candidates in Anantnag-Rajouri, Srinagar and Baramulla Lok Sabha seats in the Kashmir region, saying sometimes ”decisions are made to achieve a big goal” and the BJP is supporting ”patriotic” parties in these constituencies.

Reacting to the comments, Wani described Raina as ”Hawa Baaz” (one who builds castles in the air). ”They (BJP) do not have any voter base and public support. When they have no polling agent, no campaign, no cadre base, how will they fight elections in Kashmir,” he said.

The Congress leader said the BJP has lost its support base in Jammu as well because they have only given ”lollipops to the public over the past 10 years”.

The people of Jammu and Kashmir have made up their minds to teach the BJP a lesson and have done so in Udhampur during the first phase of polling, Wani claimed, adding, ”The same fate awaits the party in the Jammu Lok Sabha seat.” Thanking the people of Udhampur for turning up in large numbers despite heavy rains to exercise their democratic right, the Congress leaders said, ”They voted for change and we are confident of winning the seat.” ”Winds of change have started sweeping the country… they (BJP) took votes from the people of Jammu and Kashmir and deceived them by revoking the special status (under Article 370) and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories,” Wani said.

Wani assured the people that the Congress is promise-bound to ensure the protection of culture, jobs and land besides restoring statehood and holding assembly elections. ”We will also resume the bi-annual practice of Darbar move (under which the government used to function six months each in Jammu and Srinagar), throw away smart electricity meters and waive farmers loans besides implementing the guarantees of the party manifesto,” the Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief said.