Srinagar, Feb 27 (KNS): The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) Thursday said that the party wants Assembly polls and Panchayat elections on vacant seats in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir to be held soon.
“As for as the BJP is concerned, we are ready for the polls any time, whether it is today or a few months later. But yes the Assembly elections along with the polls on Vacant panchayat seats should be held soon,” BJP senior leader and Kashmir affairs in-charge Avanaish Rai Khanna told KNS over phone from New Delhi.
The BJP is the only party in the state that backs elections at this time. The other major parties, the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party, had opposed holding the polls in the New Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Avinash Khanna further said that BJP is always ready for any democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir. We will support any process that strengthens the democratic process at the grassroots level. As far as our cadre is concerned, we are always ready to help people and pave the way towards development and normalcy,” said Khana.
The BJP leader however said that as far as the timing of the assembly elections is concerned, the decision and discretion of that is absolutely with the Election Commission of India.
The Election Commission had said it would announce elections in the state after it received a green signal from both the Centre and the state government on the law and order situation.
Jammu and Kashmir has not had an elected government since the PDP-BJP coalition government fell apart in June 2018.
Meanwhile Khanna exuded confidence that party will form next government in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“BJP will register a “splendid victory” in the elections and “write a new chapter” by forming its own government in the Jammu and Kashmir,” Khana claimed.
He further said that the political atmosphere in the Union territory is “now more favourable for the BJP” as the people have themselves seen the “real faces” of the Congress and the regional parties.
“They always betrayed the people by playing emotional cards but now none of them would succeed in their game plans,” he said.
“While the BJP has always been sincere about flourishing of democracy, others were opportunists, who did not contribute in strengthening democracy at the grassroots level and went for boycotting the ULB and panchayat elections,” the BJP leader said.
It is to mention here that soon after assuming charge, BJP working president J.P Nadda had said that the party is ready to face the Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir anytime the poll panel decides.
The national leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party had also told the Jammu and Kashmir core group of the party to start preparing for the Assembly election in the State (KNS).