Jammu: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has given the green signal to three prominent candidates for the upcoming Jammu Assembly elections, as announced today. This decision comes amidst ongoing speculation and suspense surrounding the party’s choice for seven constituencies in the Jammu region.
The BJP High Command has confirmed the candidacies of party president for Jammu and Kashmir UT, Ravinder Raina, for the Nowshera Assembly segment in Rajouri district. Former Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta is set to contest from the Bahu Assembly segment in the Gandhi Nagar area of Jammu district. Additionally, Pawan Khajuria, the party’s vice president, will be the party’s candidate for the Udhampur East constituency.
Raina, who previously represented the Nowshera-Sunderbani constituency, will now focus on Nowshera. Kavinder Gupta, who won the Gandhi Nagar seat previously, is aiming to retain his position in Bahu. Pawan Khajuria, who had previously contested in Udhampur as an independent, is now in line for the Udhampur East constituency.
The BJP’s decision follows a high-level meeting led by the party’s Election Incharge for J&K, Ram Madhav, and Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh. The meeting aimed to resolve internal disagreements over ticket distribution and finalize candidate selections.
Despite this announcement, there remains uncertainty over candidates for four other constituencies in the Jammu region: Kathua town, Bishnah, Marh, and Rajouri town. Kathua, Bishnah, and Marh are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), and candidates from these constituencies include a senior JKAS officer, a doctor, and a serving DDC member.
Marh constituency, in particular, has faced contention as the former Minister and two-time MLA, Choudhary Sukhnandan, could not be accommodated due to the reservation change. Rajouri town is also experiencing a tussle between two senior party leaders, with one threatening to run as an independent candidate if not selected.
As the election dates approach, with polling for the second and third phases drawing near, the BJP is under pressure to finalize and announce candidates for the remaining constituencies. Currently, the party has declared candidates for 36 out of 43 Assembly segments in the Jammu division, including eight seats across Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban districts, set to vote on September 18.
The official announcement for the remaining candidates is expected soon as the campaign period intensifies and party leaders push for clarity to effectively mobilize their constituencies.
