Srinagar: Despite the Election Commission announcing the dates for Lok Sabha polls, major political parties -- National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Congress, and BJP -- in Kashmir have kept the names of contesting candidates shrouded in secrecy.
Mindful of the shifting dynamics post abrogation of Article 370, the parties are still debating over the selection of candidates, who could navigate the intricate political complexities of the valley.
With the NC making it clear that they will contest all three Lok Sabha seats from Kashmir and won’t leave any seat for the PDP, the uncertainty over the fate of I.N.D.I.A bloc persists which is further forcing the parties to rethink their strategies.
Apart from the NC, the PDP is a part of the I.N.D.I.A bloc in J&K. The Congress has been asking the NC to spare one Lok Sabha seat (Anantnag-Poonch-Rajouri) seat for PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, which so far, the NC has refused despite pressure from I.N.D.I.A bloc.
A senior NC leader told DH that they were waiting for other parties to announce their candidates before taking a final call. “Every party is keeping their cards close to their chest as far as the announcement of the candidates is concerned. We are monitoring the situation and weighing the strengths and vulnerabilities of potential nominees,” he said.
BJP plays the waiting game
While the BJP has already stood by its old guard in the Jammu region and announced Union minister Jitendra Singh and sitting MP Jugal Kishore for Udhampur and Jammu parliamentary seats, respectively, the saffron party is yet to take a call on three valley seats.
A BJP leader said that the party strategists are poring over maps, identifying key battlegrounds and assessing the prospects of emerging leaders who could carry the saffron flag forward.
“The main focus of our party in Kashmir is the Anantnag LS seat. We are waiting for the opposition to announce its candidates and after that we will take a call,” he said.
(Published 20 March 2024, 10:48 IST)
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