"Candidates names will be finalised soon...": Union Minister G Kishan Reddy ahead of J-K Assembly polls

Jammu, Aug 19: Ahead of the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, Union Minister and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy on Monday said that under the leadership of party National President and Union Minister JP Nadda, the names of the candidates will be finalised soon.

On the BJP Election Committee meeting at the party office, Reddy said that the final decision on the candidates will be of the national election committee.

"The final decision will be of the national election committee. The state election committee will recommend the names, then we will recommend a panel from that. Finally, under the leadership of BJP National President and Union Minister JP Nadda ji, the names of the candidates will be finalised...As the last date for nomination is August 27, it will be announced this week only," he added.

He further said that the party's main aim is to protect Jammu and Kashmir from terrorism, nepotism and corruption.

"Our party works in unity. We have to protect Jammu and Kashmir from terrorism, nepotism and corruption. The anti-development forces should not get into power again...Brotherhood and peace prevails in J-K after the abrogation of Article 370," he added.

BJP Kavinder Gupta said that the party's focus is on development and stopping the anti-development forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The BJP has the points of infrastructural development and peacekeeping in Jammu and Kashmir. We finished stone pelting, terrorism, extremism, separatism and nepotism here. A new era of industrialisation and corporate has come here... The delimitation has been done... There is development in every sector. The BJP will go forward with these points... Some seats have been reserved for SC/ST and the candidates will be changed on them... The BJP will contest on all 90 seats on its own," Gupta said.

BJP leader Jugal Kishore Sharma said that the Bharatiya Janata Party will win the elections with full majority.

"The people of Jammu and Kashmir had been waiting for the election announcement... Now the people and the party workers are enthusiastic about the elections and making an elected government... The BJP is ready for this and we will win by a huge margin... The BJP will contest alone and win in Jammu and Kashmir," Sharma said.

Former J-K Deputy CM and BJP leader Nirmal Singh said that the BJP is preparing for the elections.

"There have been meetings with all fronts of the party... The manifesto is almost complete... This is a turning point for J&K. After 5th August 2019, we are seeing a new Kashmir. There is peace, and terrorism and extremism have stopped. The youth here now wants employment. They will get employment in the upcoming projects coming here... Jammu and Kashmir has a lot of potential," Singh said.

The polling in the UT will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, as per the Election Commission of India. The counting of the votes will take place on October 4.

These are the first elections to be held in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.

The PDP-BJP coalition government fell in June 2018 when the latter withdrew support to the then-Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti.

In December of last year, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to conclude the election process by September 30, 2024.