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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released its third list of candidates for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. The list, announced on Tuesday, includes 29 candidates, with 10 contesting in the second phase of the election and 19 in the third phase. This brings the total number of BJP candidates announced so far to 45.
The list saw a few notable changes from the previously released list. The party has replaced its Reasi district president Rohit Dubey with former MLA Baldev Raj Sharma for the Mata Vaishno Devi assembly constituency. Sharma had previously been an MLA in 2008 but was suspended from the party. He was reinstated in 2014 but was denied a ticket in the last assembly election. This decision indicates a strategic shift by the BJP, potentially aiming to capitalize on Sharma's local popularity and experience.
Another significant change involves the Bilawar assembly constituency. Former deputy chief minister of J&K Nirmal Singh has been replaced with Satish Sharma. Similarly, senior BJP leader and MLA from Jammu West, Sat Sharma, has been denied a ticket from the same seat, with Arvind Gupta being fielded in his place. These changes likely reflect the party's assessment of the current political landscape and the potential electoral advantage of fielding new candidates.
The party also faced protests after naming Narinder Singh as its candidate from the RS Pura seat in Jammu. Two other party leaders, Sham Lal and Vikram Randhawa, were also vying for the ticket. However, Tuesday's list maintained Singh's name as the candidate. The BJP leadership has stated they will reach out to the other candidates to encourage them to work for the party. This episode highlights the internal competition within the party and the challenges of candidate selection.
The BJP's candidate announcements in Jammu and Kashmir are strategically timed ahead of the elections. This move aims to solidify the party's position and capitalize on the upcoming electoral opportunity. The party's decision to replace candidates in certain constituencies indicates their willingness to adapt their strategy and respond to the evolving political dynamics in the state.