Opp terms it a move propelled to back Apni Party, lay impediments for NC, PDP

BJP’s strategic maneuvering: Nominating election in-charges, co-in-charges for Ant-Raj

JAMMU: After setting itself free from two important Lok Sabha contests viz Jammu and Kathua in first II phases, Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) , though not contesting Anantnag-Rajouri in phase III, has shifted its focus in the high-profile constituency by nominating election in-charges and co-in-charges in all its segments .
The move claimed by the party leadership is to keep the constituency vibrantly active by motivating its workers on the ground who may not feel alienated by the absence of Party’s candidate in the contest.
However, though, BJP has already announced its moral and holistic support to ‘like-minded’ parties in contest in the Parliamentary seat, opposition rubbishes the claim saying that the move has been propelled to back Apni Party candidate Zaffar Iqbal Manhas and lay impediments for NC and PDP.
J&K BJP President Ravinder Raina nominated election in-charges and co-in-charges for the all 18 constituents of Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency.
Poonch district and almost two-thirds of Rajouri district were merged with Kashmir’s Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency to form the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency. The new constituency consists of a total of 18 Assembly segments — 11 in the Kashmir region’s Shopian, Kulgam, and Anantnag districts, and 7 are in Poonch and Rajouri districts.
Meanwhile, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah took a dig at the Election Commission of India (ECI) for postponing polling in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat to May 25.
“We are seeing a conspiracy in the delaying of polls,” Abdullah said. He alleged that the decision is not related to candidates and voters but a “conspiracy” of the BJP.
“This is an attempt to deny Bakerwals (nomadic community), who migrate to upper reaches in May, to cast their votes,” Abdullah alleged. “I am hopeful they will stay back and migrate only after voting.”
Sources claim that since the formation of the constituency, the BJP has been trying to woo the ST population. It implemented the Forest Rights Act, which was a long-standing demand, to provide safeguards to Gujjars and Bakerwals. The union government also included the Pahari ethnic group in the Scheduled Tribe list in 2024. To ensure that Gujjars and Bakerwals do not object to the inclusion of Paharis in the ST fold, the Centre separated quotas for the Paharis in both jobs and education.
The BJP, however, has not fielded a candidate in the constituency. As the majority of the voters are Muslims, the party’s calculation was that the seat remained risky even after the steps taken to get the support of the ST population, sources said.

Updated On 5/3/2024 2:44:05 AM