Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP chief J P Nadda will be addressing poll rallies in Jammu and Kashmir, which will be going to Assembly polls in three phases from September 18.
BJP insiders said PM Modi will lead the party’s poll campaign.
“The PM Modi is expected to address 8-10 poll rallies in Jammu and Kashmir. Most of these rallies will be in Jammu region, which is the stronghold of BJP,” they said.
Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will also campaign extensively for party candidates in J&K.
“Shah and Rajnath Singh will hold between 15 to 20 rallies,” sources in BJP said.
They said BJP chief Nadda would also campaign for party candidates and is likely to address 8-12 poll rallies across the UT with special focus on Jammu region.
The BJP leaders said the schedule for the rallies is being worked out by the party leaders in consultations with J&K BJP unit.
“The rallies will be held in such a way that all 43 Assembly constituencies in Jammu region are covered. It will be ensured that at least one of the four top campaigners of the party addresses the poll rally in each segment in Jammu region,” they said.
According to BJP leaders, PM Modi, HM Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP chief J P Nadda and some other party leaders will also be addressing some poll rallies in the Valley.
Union Minister G Kishen Reddy, Election Incharge Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh and BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh have been assigned the task of screening the candidates for 90 seats.
Party leaders said the BJP campaign is expected to start by the end of this month and will continue throughout the September.
First phase of elections are scheduled to be held on September 18, second phase on September 25 and third phase on October 1. The counting of votes will be held on October 4.
In the 2014 elections, the BJP won 25 seats, all in Jammu region. It remains to be seen whether the saffron party repeats the same performance in this polls, which will be the first Assembly election in J&K post Article 370 abrogation and bifurcation of erstwhile J&K state into two Union Territories.
There is a provision for nomination of five MLAs to J&K Assembly including two migrant Kashmiri Pandits (one of them a woman), two women and a PoJK refugee.
Twenty four seats in the J&K Assembly are reserved for PoJK.