No pre-poll alliance in J-K polls, BJP to contest all 87 seats

Ruling out any pre-poll alliance in Jammu and Kashmir, Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said it will contest in all the 87 Assembly constituencies in the upcoming Assembly polls.

“We won't be entering into any pre-poll alliance with any political party as we are considering fielding our candidates in all the 87 assembly constituencies in the state,” BJP MP and party in charge for Jammu and Kashmir Avinash Rai Khanna told PTI.

Expressing confidence that his party would replicate its recent performance in Haryana and Maharashtra elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Khanna said that the party was confident to win more than 44 seats.

“We will go beyond 44 seats and form the next government in Jammu and Kashmir,” said Khanna, who presided over a function at party office.

He said the party would soon come out with the first list of its candidates, as the Election Commission has announced the dates for assembly elections in the state.

“Focus would be on the candidates who are capable to win, those who have a clean image and who can deliver. The party's election committee will hold a meeting today to decide the names of the candidates,” he said.

The BJP leader said the party wants to strengthen democracy in the state and its main poll plank would be to provide corruption free governance to the people.

"Our manifesto is clear, we will provide a corruption free, fear free and dynasty free governance to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We want the people of the state to give us a chance and if we fail they can throw us out after six years," Khanna said.

Khanna said the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has increased many fold amongst the people of Kashmir, especially the Muslim population in Kashmir was keen to give BJP a chance in the state.

"The people in Kashmir, especially Muslim population, have come closer to BJP. The people in the valley have appreciated the efforts of prime minister in providing them relief and rehabilitation after the devastating floods,” he said.

When asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaign for the party candidates in the state, Khanna said people in the state want Modi to campaign.

"The common people of the state want Prime Minister Modi to come and hold election rallies in the state and we are hopeful that he would oblige them," he said.

Launching an attack on National Conference and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his opposition to the timing of holding assembly elections in the state, Khanna said, "he has failed to deliver and like a student who knows he would fail in the exams and is afraid to face them, Omar Abdullah too is aware that he would loose, hence he objected to elections".

The BJP leader said if voted to power his party would resolve the long pending issues of the refugees from West Pakistan and the Pakistan occupied Kashmir.