BJP to fight ally PDP in by-polls while Opposition unites in J&K

a sweeping win in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to contest by-elections for two Lok sabha seats in Kashmir valley on its own while National Conference and Congress have joined hands for the polls.

BJP is likely to announce a candidate on both the seats including South Kashmir's Anantnag constituency where Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has fielded Tasaduq Mufti, brother of chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, suggesting all may not be well within the alliance .

Speaking about the development PDP spokesman Nayeem Akhtar confirmed the two parties are “not in any kind of arrangement for the two Lok Sabha seats”.

BJP Kashmir spokesman Altaf Thakur said that it was after a demand from the cadre that the decision was taken. “Having a pre poll alliance is not part of our agenda of alliance, we have made no such commitment,” he said.

A press statement by the local wing of the party also quoted Ashok Kaul, state general secretary saying the party will field its own candidates in the two seats.

Farooq Abdullah, president of NC, will contest as the Srinagar candidate and Congress chief GA Mir will contest the Anantnag seat. The announcement was made in a press conference on Wednesday. “For the past few days, both the parties ( NC and Congress ) conducted internal exercises and came to the conclusion that if we really want to defeat the candidates of the present government in Srinagar and Anantnag, the best thing to do is to fight the elections jointly,'' former chief minister Omar Abdullah said.

While Srinagar constituency will go to polls on April 9, polling for the Anantnag seat will be held on April 12.

Anantnag constituency fell vacant after Mehbooba Mufti became the chief minister last year. Nazir Ahmad Khan, had been announced as party's candidate from Srinagar, after one of the PDP founders and a senior leader Tariq Hameed Karra left the party in protest after the 2016 unrest in which at least 90 people lost their lives.

Both the parties ( NC and Congress ) conducted internal exercises and came to the conclusion that if we really want to defeat the candidates of the present government ... the best thing to do is fight elections jointly OMAR ABDULLAH, Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir