Jammu and Kashmir News: BJP announces 132-member committee for upcoming UT assembly polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced on August 8 a 132-member state election management committee for the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The announcement comes on a day when a team of the Election Commission of India reviewed the preparedness for assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir and took feedback from political parties.

Three-time Member of Parliament (MP) Jugal Kishore Sharma, who was recently appointed as a whip in the Lok Sabha, has been nominated as the chairman of the BJP's election campaign committee in the UT, a spokesperson of the party was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Jammu and Kashmir has been under Central rule since June 19, 2018, following the collapse of a coalition government headed by the People’s Democratic Party’sMehbooba Mufti after its alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew its support.

Manoj Sinha is the present Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of the UT.

“Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina, in consultation with the party's national president, J P Nadda, G Kishan Reddy, Union minister and the party's election in-charge for the Union Territory, and BJP national general secretary and Jammu and Kashmir Prabhari Tarun Chugh, announced the election management committee, with Sharma nominated as its chairman,” the spokesperson said.

Assem Gupta has been nominated as the convenor and Rajiv Jasrotia, Pawan Khajuria and Shouqat Gayoor Andrabi as committee co-convenors, he added.

The ECI team led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar reached Srinagar on August 8 to meet with representatives of political parties at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC).

Representatives of various political parties, including the National Conference (NC), People's Democratic Party(PDP), BJP, Congress, and Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party met the ECI team at the SKICC. J-K Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole also attended the meeting.

The ECI will review preparedness for Assembly polls, weeks before the Supreme Court's September 30 deadline for holding elections in the Union Territory, news agency PTI reported.

Last year, during a hearing on the Article 370 abrogation case, the Supreme Court directed the poll panel to hold assembly elections in the UT by September 2024.

(With PTI inputs)