Next JK CM will be from BJP, says Jugal Kishore Sharma

After emerging as the second largest party in Jammu and Kashmir polls, BJP today expressed confidence that the next chief minister of the state will be from the party.

"It is a historic victory of BJP, it is the victory of the people of the state and we will work for the people who showed their confidence in us. I tell you that the next chief minister in Jammu and Kashmir will be from BJP," BJP state president and party MP from Jammu, Jugal Kishore Sharma, said.

BJP workers were seen bursting crackers and distributing sweets while the winning candidates of the party were brought into the party office in huge procession.

"We have scripted history today and this vote is for development, for good governance," BJP winning candidate from Jammu East Rajesh Gupta who defeated congress's Vikram
Malhotra with a margin of 12694 votes said.

He also expressed confidence that BJP will be able to form the next government in the state.

"The next chief minister in the state will be from BJP," he said.
As the celebrations continues in the BJP office, the scene was not different outside the houses of the BJP's winning candidate as people in large number thronged outside the house of BJP winning candidates to congratulate them on their victory.

"We all worked day and night to make sure that our candidate wins. Defeating a two-time MLA and a powerful cabinet minister Raman Bhalla was not an easy task, but it was the hard work of the party workers at the grass-root level that we succeeded in our mission," Gurjeet Singh a supporter of BJP winning candidate from Gandhi Nagar Kawinder Gupta said.

While celebrations continued outside the BJP office in Jammu, the Congress office here wore a deserted look, with the party loosing most of the seats it contested in the Jammu region.

It was also deserted outside the house of Congress candidate from Gandhi Nagar as the party cadre is in a state of shock with the defeat of two times MLA from the Constituency Raman Bhalla.

"It will take time for us to recover from this shock," a congress supporter said.
Even though the party has 12 seats in the state, the Congress is still hopeful to join hands with "secular forces" to keep away BJP from forming the next government in the state.

"Though the results are a setback for us, but to keep the communal forces away as BJP won 25 states because of polarisation we are ready to join hands with secular forces to form the next government in the state," Congress spokesman Salman Nizami said.

The party cadre of NC in Jammu also celebrated the victory of two of NC candidates in Jammu district.