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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary and Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) in-charge, Tarun Chugh, said on Sunday that the people of J-K have great respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while criticizing the regional leadership, including the National Conference, People's Democratic Party, and Congress, as being misguided and unpopular among the populace.
"The people of Jammu and Kashmir hold Prime Minister Narendra Modi in high esteem. On the other hand, the leadership of the National Conference, People's Democratic Party, and Congress is misguided and is being rejected by the people," Chug told reporters after a meeting in Srinagar. Referring to recent statements by former Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti, Chugh said, "They appear to be among the misguided leaders." He specifically labelled Omar Abdullah, the National Conference Vice-President, as an "established confused leader," claiming that Omar is uncertain about a pre-poll alliance with Congress and the number of seats they plan to contest. "He (Omar) is confused whether to contest the assembly elections or not," Chug added. Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, as announced by the Election Commission of India. The votes will be counted on October 8. J-K has 90 assembly constituencies, with 7 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 9 for Scheduled Tribes (STs). According to the Election Commission of India, J-K has 88.06 lakh eligible electors. In the previous Assembly elections, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats, BJP secured 25, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference won 15, and Congress won 12. The PDP and BJP formed a coalition government led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. However, in 2018, the BJP withdrew its support after Mehbooba Mufti took over following Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's demise. These upcoming elections will be the first in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370. (ANI)
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