Former militants campaigning for NC and PDP in J&K elections: Ram Madhav

Jammu and Kashmir : For the impending assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Ram Madhav, national general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (bjp), has accused the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of receiving backing from former terrorists. According to Madhav, the two sides want to return the Union territory to its “trouble-filled” past.

“I’ve heard that former fighters are openly supporting the PDP and NC candidates. In reference to the Abdullahs and Muftis, Madhav told reporters on September 4 that “the people will have to defeat the parties who want to take Jammu and Kashmir back to its bad days and support new leadership which wants peace and progress.”

The party’s in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir, Madhav, said that the two families should be sent away. While Aijaz Hussain, the party’s candidate from the Lal Chowk assembly seat, filed his candidacy, Madhav stood by his side.

In three stages, Jammu and Kashmir will elect its 90-member legislature. In Jammu and Kashmir, the first round of voting is set for September 18, although the further rounds will take place on September 25 and October 1. On October 8, the votes will be tabulated.

For the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir legislature, the BJP has so far made the names of 51 candidates from its four lists public.

Madhav claimed that the two regional parties seek to return Jammu and Kashmir to its troubled past, citing their electoral manifestos, which call for the settlement of the Kashmir dispute, the reinstatement of Article 370 and statehood, and discussions with Pakistan.

He stated that new parties and leaders will emerge in the Kashmir valley, while the BJP will emerge in the Jammu region as a representative of peace and development. “I want to remind the people of J-K that the NC, PDP, and others have brought up manifestos which will take J-K back to old, trouble-filled days,” he said. He said that the BJP will create a new administration in the UT.

The BJP may win 25 seats, all in Jammu, in the most recent assembly elections conducted in Jammu & Kashmir in 2014. In Kashmir, the saffron party did not establish an account. Following delimitation, Jammu has 43 seats while the Kashmir part of the UT has 47.

The PDP and the NC both retaliated against Madhav for his charges. The PDP, headed by Mehbooba Mufti, said that the BJP has no right to preach since most of its purported members in Kashmir are terrorists who had given up. According to the NC, Madhav’s comments suggested that the BJP was afraid of the upcoming elections in Jammu & Kashmir.

At the national level, the NC and PDP are adversaries in Jammu and Kashmir, but they are partners in the opposition INDIA alliance.

The BJP leader said, “This is the strategy of the people of Jammu and Kashmir as they want new leadership,” when asked about the large number of youthful faces running in the elections.

“There are a lot of young people coming forward, and we should encourage them. There are two families who controlled this state, and they must be removed. He made reference to the families of PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti and NC president Farooq Abdullah when he remarked, “This state needs to get rid of those families.”

The only major party to emerge, according to Madhav, will be the BJP, but “if there is such a situation, we will discuss it afterwards”.

Additionally, he applauded the involvement of former Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) members in the electoral contest. In a democracy, room is made for everybody. We extend a warm welcome to everyone wishing to stand for democratic elections. However, no one should use the backing of terrorists and former combatants to challenge the elections. There will be transparency and calm throughout the voting process. PM Narendra Modi has given such assurance, saying that the Parliamentary elections were held in a transparent way.

According to Madhav, on September 6, the Union Home Minister would speak at an electoral rally in the Jammu area. “After that, the prime minister and other leaders will also visit,” he said.