BJP begins profiling of young fresh faces to put impressive show in Assembly polls

Move aims to reduce voter’s anger, discard ‘underperforming’ leaders to create space for potential leaders

Jammu: With the Centre showing its intent to conduct the long-awaited Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir before September 26, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has initiated profiling young and untainted fresh faces to put a formidable challenge to its opponents in the upcoming polls.
According to party sources, the BJP high command has sought detailed profiles of young and new candidates across Jammu and Kashmir to replace “underperforming leaders” who have failed to connect with the masses despite multiple opportunities in recent years.
“This has become a standard operating procedure in the party’s successful strategy, where the focus is on mitigating anti-incumbency and voter dissatisfaction by fielding a significant number of fresh faces in elections. This approach has proven effective in previous elections in various states of the Hindi heartland,” said party insiders.
Sources said the party has been maintaining “utmost confidentiality” while profiling young leaders from various political backgrounds to ensure they can be brought into the party for better performance in the elections.
“Since the abrogation of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed unprecedented infrastructural development, besides a sense of equality has prevailed among different sections of society. The party has been successful in delivering justice to all the communities previously neglected and discriminated against by successive regimes over the decades. The party is optimistic about improving its tally from the 25 seats it secured in the 2014 assembly elections,” sources added.
Sources said the lists of young and new faces have been drafted and their antecedents are being meticulously verified before they are brought into party folds and given party’s mandate in the next assembly elections. “These new faces could come from various sections of society including doctors, engineers, academicians, elected District Development Council (DDC) and Block Development Council (BDC) members as well as runner-ups in these elections. The sole criteria are their clean image and their impact among the masses,” sources added.
Insiders suggested that some senior leaders of the party, who previously served as ministers in the PDP-BJP government but had dismally low performances, could be excluded from the electoral race. They are expected to be replaced by young and fresh faces in their respective constituencies.
In Kashmir Valley, the party has decided to rope in young faces with strong and clean reputations from various political backgrounds to bolster its organizational base and put up a strong performance in the assembly polls. “As the party was in the process of identifying impactful and potential leaders, this was one of the reasons it chose not to field any candidates for the three seats in the Kashmir Valley during the recent Lok Sabha polls,” insiders revealed.
It may be placed here that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in an interview to a news agency, has said, “Lok Sabha election is also over (in Jammu and Kashmir). Next is the Assembly election which will also be held. We will complete the process before the Supreme Court deadline (September 30).
When asked why the BJP did not field any candidate in the Lok Sabha election in the Kashmir Valley, he said the party was still working on strengthening its organisation in the valley. “We will definitely put up our candidates in future. Our organisation is getting expanded and our organisation is under process of strengthening,” he has said.

Updated On 5/27/2024 3:04:09 AM