BJP hits campaign trail in Jammu & Kashmir, eyes all five Lok Sabha seats

Srinagar: The BJP has hit the campaign trail in Jammu and Kashmir with the aim of winning all five Lok Sabha seats in the Union Territory, senior party leader Ashok Kaul said on Saturday.

"We have started the work for the forthcoming elections. The party has appointed Dr Nirmal Singh as the sector in-charge for the five Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir," Kaul told reporters at Anantnag after a party meeting.

He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will open six election offices in the five constituencies which will start functioning from January 30.

"The president of Jammu and Kashmir BJP will inaugurate all the six offices -- two offices for Anantnag and Rajouri seats -- and one each for the other four seats -- on January 30. We will work with the aim of winning all five seats from Jammu and Kashmir for the BJP," he added.

Commenting on the I.N.D.I.A bloc, Kaul said that his party has maintained from the beginning that it was just a photo opportunity.

"We have said it from the start that this I.N.D.I.Alliance is a photo session. Bengal (TMC) has gone one way, Punjab and Delhi (AAP) have gone the other way, while the one they had made convenor is also wavering back and forth. Today, the alliance is nowhere," he said.

Kaul said that a Gupkar alliance was formed in Jammu and Kashmir but that is also falling apart.

The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) was formed in 2019 after the Centre abrogated Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 and bifurcated the state into Union territories -- J&K and Ladakh.