BJP confident of winning 35 seats on its own: Ravinder Raina

Jammu, Oct 7: A day ahead of vote count for 90 seats of J&K Legislative Assembly, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) UT President Ravinder Raina Monday exuded confidence that his party would “emerge as the single largest party bagging 35 seats on its own.”

The party would form a government with BJP-supported independent candidates and like-minded groups in Kashmir, he said.

While speaking to the media, Raina said, “On October 8, the results of J&K Legislative Assembly elections will be announced. I’m confident that BJP will emerge as the single largest party in J&K. It will form a government along with the independent candidates, supported by BJP and some like-minded groups in the Kashmir valley.”

When asked about the claims of the National Conference that it would attain a clear mandate, required for government formation, Raina said, “Let’s wait for October 8 when the vote count will take place. So far, only exit polls have come out – a kind of opinion polls. Through opinion polls, we can only shape conjectures. We try to assess details or guess figures, through a survey. They are not actual results.”

He said that the BJP was confident of getting the overwhelming support of the J&K people when the final verdict would be announced. “Based on massive public participation in the election rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President J P Nadda and other senior national leaders, we believe that it will be the single largest party after election results are announced,” Raina said.

J&K BJP President said that rallies of BJP’s topmost leaders saw massive crowds due to the works done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the last ten years, which led to an era of peace, prosperity, development and robust communal amity.

“Many deprived sections of people got their rights during these ten years. PM Modi ensured justice to all - Hindu-Muslim-Sikh; Gujjar-Bakerwals, Paharis etc. If all J&K people have secured their constitutional rights, credit goes to PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Against this backdrop, we believe that the J&K people have given us whole-hearted support and BJP will win around 35 seats on its own. Similarly, we’re confident of the win of around 15 BJP-supported independent candidates and our allies, some like-minded groups, in the Valley. With their support, we will form a government,” he said.

Though Raina did not name those independent candidates yet said that in Kashmir, at some places where BJP did not field its candidates, it (BJP) openly supported some independent candidates during elections.

“We hope that they will emerge victorious and with their support, BJP will form a government,” he asserted.

“Party has a vision for J&K ushering in a new era of permanent peace, security, development and prosperity – in aspirations of youth, farmers, poor and women,” Raina said.