Soon after announcing the first list featuring 44 candidates for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew the list. The first list featured 15 names for the first phase, 10 for the second and 19 for the third phase of the polling.
However, the saffron party re-released the list, but this time, only with 15 names for the first round of polling. The list for the rest of the rounds has not been shared by the party, as yet.
According to the amended list, the BJP has fielded Arshid Bhat from Rajpora, Javed Ahmad Qadri from Shopian, Mohd. Rafiq Wani from Anantnag West. Moreover, Adv. Syed Wazahat has been pitted from Anantnag, Sushri Shagun Parihar from Kishtwar, and Gajay Singh Rana from Doda.
In addition, Kuldeep Raj Dubey is fielded to contest from Reasi, Rohit Dubey from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, and Chowdhary Abdul Ghani from Poonch Haveli. Pawan Gupta has been fielded from Udhampur West, Dr. Devinder Kumar Maniyal from Ramgarh (SC), and Mohan Lal Bhagat from Akhnoor.
The list was finalised in the meeting of the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the party, held in the national capital on Sunday. The meeting saw the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party president JP Nadda among others.
Polling in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases, i.e., September 18, 25, and October 1, and the counting of votes will take place on October 4. The polling is held for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of article 370.
