Target Of 370

a huge influx of tourists.

The Narendra Modi-led government, on August 5, 2019, abrogated Article 370, thus ending the special status given to J&K, and bifurcated it into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh.

He also talked about the Prime Minister’s recent successful visit to Kashmir.

“All of this has encouraged us to aspire for 370 seats for the BJP, as a fitting tribute to this great decision. We are not overconfident. We are not arrogant about our victory. We are coming from a position of conviction. We have the courage of conviction that we have done good for the nation,” Goyal said.

The senior BJP leader, who is also the leader of Rajya Sabha, said the Modi government has brought a paradigm shift in the nation’s journey of progress during his tenure in the last 10 years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken India on the path of progress, development and inclusive growth, he added.

“This is a country which is in turbocharge mode today. And I think clearly, the 2024 elections will spring a surprise to the world even beyond what we are currently hearing and seeing as different estimates,” Goyal said.

Asked whether the NDA includes BJD, the BJP leader said that it would be clear in a couple of days which all parties are part of the NDA.

“NDA is an inclusive alliance of well-meaning good parties, and all good parties are invited to be a part of this journey to make India a superpower,” Goyal said.

The Election Commission is expected to announce the poll schedule soon and the elections are likely to be held in April-May.

The BJP won 303 seats in the 2019 polls but currently, it has 290 members in Lok Sabha for various reasons, including some MPs recently resigning after winning assembly polls.

The ruling BJP has named 34 Union ministers in the first list of 195 candidates.

“It is a matter of happiness that Modi has been able to change the work culture and perception about democracy by undertaking all round development and ensuring delivery of schemes as and where needed,” Singh said.

He said the government has reignited those hopes which had faded and rekindled aspirations among the youth who had resigned to their fate due to the prevailing work environment.

“All the works have been carried out with an urge to serve the general public from the core of the heart and to provide the benefits rising above the politics of caste, creed and religion. The prime minister has sought to create a new work culture in politics which our successors will be bound to follow,” he said.

Singh alleged that earlier governments neglected the entire region of erstwhile Doda district and created social strife by playing politics of division, whereas under Prime Minister Modi “we ensured equitable development and restored communal harmony”.

“Analysts will find it difficult to answer as to why Doda remained backward despite the fact that after independence, there was not a single occasion when Doda did not have its representative both in the Union Cabinet as well as in the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet,” he said.

He said Doda has today emerged on the world map because Bhaderwah has given the world lavender and purple revolution which were exhibited in the Republic Day parade at New Delhi and Modi spoke in detail about it in “Mann Ki Baat”.

Under Modi, the minister said he has also sought to follow a different political culture of reaching out equally to all sections of people regardless of religion or caste.

“The people of Doda belt are traditionally peace loving and patriotic, and they had refused to migrate even during the peak of militancy,” he said.

He said new National Highway 244 from Khillani to Sudhmahadev touching Goha Kalota, approval of Chattergala tunnel and Kaljugar tunnel, series of hydropower projects and airport under Udaan in Kishtwar, Centrally funded Medical College in Doda and High Altitude Medicine Plant in Bhaderwah, all happened in last 10 years.

“A large number of projects brought to the Doda region in the last 10 years have not only brought about transformation but were also meant to change the mindset,” he said, adding various welfare schemes launched not only meant social and economic transformation but also aroused several semi-conscious aspirations, particularly in the youth which had got buried due to dismay and pessimism of the past.

Singh underlined that road connectivity, power supply and medical facilities have been improved in Doda in the last 10 years.

He said this constituency holds distinction as being the lone Lok Sabha constituency where there are three medical colleges, namely in Doda, Kathua and Udhampur.

Later talking to reporters, he expressed confidence of the NDA led by Modi crossing the

400 mark in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. PTI

what language you speak and what your culture is. It is a united India,” he said.

Asked about Mehbooba Mufti’s remarks on PAGD, he said assembly elections are coming and “we will see what we will do. I am sure they (BJP-led government) will try to hold the assembly polls with parliamentary elections.”

The NC has announced the party would contest the three seats in Kashmir valley and asked the Congress to contest two seats in the Jammu region. The party also said there would be a consensus candidate of NC and Congress on the Ladakh seat.

Jammu and Kashmir has five Lok Sabha seats, while Ladakh has one. In the last elections, while the NC won the three seats in Kashmir, the BJP won the two Jammu seats as well as the lone Ladakh seat.

On PAGD, Mufti on Friday said it was “difficult to see the unity break”.

“I regret that what we nurtured for five years has been shattered,” she said. The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said that had the NC leadership discussed the issue with her, the PDP could have let the NC contest on all three seats in the valley.

However, she said the PDP was still a part of the INDIA bloc and the party would discuss the future strategy with the Congress.

Asked about the formation of a new government in Pakistan and its possible approach towards India, Abdullah on Saturday said Islamabad has to decide whether it wants peaceful relations with India or not.

“What Pakistan does, is their problem. It is their nation and it is for them to decide whether they want to live in peace with our nation or they don’t want to live in peace.

“Kashmir was acceded to India by Maharaja Hari Singh and that accession is even today and that will last forever,” he said, adding, “We are part of India and there is no problem for us. It is for them to decide what they want to do.”

To a query on Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s statement likening Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Adolf Hitler, he said, “I do not know what he had said and under what conditions”.

“He (Modi) is not a prime minister of BJP. People who voted for him are just 37 per cent but once one becomes a prime minister he represents every Indian. He also represents 1.4 billion when he goes outside the country.

“He represents Muslim, Hindu, Sikhs, Christians and every other single religion and those who have no religion,” he said.

a Kashmiri Pandit who was part of the procession.

Sanjay Pandita, a local Pandith youth said that the participation of local Muslims in this event underscores the spirit of inclusivity and unity prevailing in the region. “It is heartening to see local Muslims proceeding side by side with us in this procession. I was invited by scores of these Muslim homes to have meals. This generosity fills one’s heart with good hopes. Many good things await us. I pray that we live as Humans and give hatred no space,” Pandita said.

Reports inform that special security arrangements were put in place by the Ganderbal Police to ensure the safety and smooth conduct of the event. Notably, SSP Sandeep Gupta, along with district police and civil department officials, graced the ceremony and joined in the festivities.

It was reported further that at the Hari Krishna Temple in Nunar, prayers were offered for peace in Kashmir, symbolizing a collective aspiration for harmony and tranquillity in the valley.

Local Muslims also expressed their joy, noting that the event evoked memories of the pre-1989 era when peace and brotherhood prevailed in Kashmir—(KNO)

gravity of the situation is undeniable, fortunately, no casualties were reported. The incident underscores a systemic issue within the Railway Department, where operational oversights pose significant risks to passenger safety. During the process of connecting the coaches to the engine, the failure to properly secure the compartments led to the detachment of several coaches, causing three to derail,” official said.

It was reported further that prompt action was taken by the station master, who immediately alerted authorities at Jammu and neighboring stations to the unfolding crisis. Concurrently, a Vande Bharat train en route from Jammu to Delhi was halted just behind the Vijaypur railway station, ensuring safety precautions were observed.

“The timely intervention prevented a potential disaster, as the Vande Bharat train was held for approximately fifteen minutes until the railway tracks were deemed safe for passage. Once the necessary precautions were taken and the tracks were inspected, the Vande Bharat train resumed its journey to Delhi,” railway sources privy to the development said—(KNO)