PM Modi, Amit Shah likely to start BJP campaign from Chenab Valley after Sep 10

Jammu, Sep 01: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are likely to initiate Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s high-octane campaigning for J&K assembly polls in the second week of September.

According to former MLC Vikram Randhawa, though the itinerary of PM Modi’s campaign schedule has not got the final clearance yet, it is very likely that by or after September 10, he may hold his first election rally in Chenab Valley in support of the BJP candidates.

“Similarly, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also likely to visit Chenab Valley for campaigning in the second week of September. BJP is awaiting final clearance of schedule of both its top star campaigners,” Randhawa said.

All eight seats of three districts of Chenab Valley - Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban are going to polls in the first phase on September 18.

However, the BJP leaders did not confirm whether their campaigning itinerary would include Kashmir in the first phase or not.

Besides finalising the list of candidates for the second and third phases, both the BJP and its bête-noire Congress are also engaged in confirming the campaign itineraries of their star campaigners, mainly top national leaders.

Just a day ago, Congress said that its senior leader and the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi would address two election rallies at Gool and Dooru, going to polls in the first phase.

Both parties have issued their lists of the 40 star campaigners each.

On anticipated lines, PM Modi, Home Minister Shah, BJP President J P Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath top the BJP’s list.

Similarly, the Congress list includes its top leadership President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal, and Jairam Ramesh.