Statehood policy matter, not political issue: BJP chief Raina

Anantnag, Oct 29: The J&K BJP Chief, Ravinder Raina, Tuesday reiterated that restoring statehood to the Union Territory is not a political issue but a matter of policy.

“Jammu and Kashmir is a border region that has borne the brunt of terrorism for over 35 years, and its people have suffered immensely. Even now, with the new government in place, terror incidents continue in areas like Ganderbal, Gulmarg, and Akhnoor. Sensitive issues like these should not be resolved hastily,” Raina said.

He was speaking to the media after addressing BJP workers in Anantnag. Raina emphasized that both the central and JK governments must carefully deliberate over sensitive issues, ensuring mutual understanding and cooperation. “Any decision on statehood should come only after thorough deliberations and consensus,” he added.

Earlier, Raina praised the BJP workers for strengthening the party’s presence in the Kashmir Valley. “A decade ago, our party struggled to find candidates to contest in Kashmir. However, in the recent assembly elections, the party contested all seats and performed remarkably well,” he said.

He highlighted the party’s near win in Gurez, where it lost by a margin of just over 550 votes, and cited strong performances in Shopian, Anantnag West, and Kokernag. “Our leaders fought valiantly in Bijbehara and Anantnag,” he said.

Raina also shared that the BJP achieved a 26.6 percent vote share in the recent assembly elections—the highest in Jammu and Kashmir. “This is even higher than the National Conference (NC), which held a 23 percent vote share and formed the government,” he said.

Raina appealed to the workers to keep building the party’s base in Kashmir.

He earlier visited the family of slain rifleman Qaisar Ahmad from Shangus, who was killed in a recent terror attack in Gulmarg and expressed his condolences.