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BJP to go it alone in J&K for Mission 44
Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 27
Having proven its might as a solo player in Maharashtra and Haryana, the BJP is too keen to replicate its success in the election-bound Jammu and Kashmir.

Senior party leader Avinash Rai Khanna confirmed to The Tribune that the BJP would contest the elections in all 87 Assembly seats on its own.

Ruling out the possibility of a pre-poll alliance with any party, Khanna said the BJP would contest all the 87 Assembly constituencies in the state and also “form the next government with a convincing majority of over 44 seats”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has already visited the state more than a couple of times since assuming office, is expected to be the star campaigner again.

“The PM has come here four times after assuming office. People want him to come and address rallies and, hopefully, he would oblige,” Khanna said. Even though Khanna did not elaborate on the issue, it is expected that the BJP may approach the elections without naming a chief ministerial candidate, just as it did in Haryana and Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, the state BJP election committee meeting today finalised the candidates for many seats. However, a final decision would be taken by the parliamentary board — BJP’s top decision making body — in Delhi.

On a day when leaders from other parties joined the BJP, Khanna asserted that “no promises (of a ticket)” had been made to them and that they had joined the party “unconditionally”. "The selection will be purely on merit and image, keeping in mind the winnability factor,” he said.

While the main poll plank would be to provide “corruption-free governance to the people”, the party will also focus on the segment hitherto “ignored by other parties” the “12 lakh refugees” in the state. The party is preparing a manifesto and a charge sheet on the issues it had been raising in the state.