"Thankful to all who reposed confidence in me," says BJP's Kathua Assembly Constituency candidate Bharat Bhushan

"I am very grateful to the Bharatiya Janata Party, especially our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, his entire central team and our state's present Ravinder Rana ji, our Kathua head Gopal Mahajan ji...I am thankful to all of them who have reposed their confidence in me and I am very thankful to them," Bharat Bhushan told reporters.

"I want to request all the voters to support us so that we can develop Jammu and Kashmir," he appealed.

Meanwhile, another BJP candidate, Dr Rajeev Bhagat, after being nominated from Bishnah Assembly constituency, thanked the party's top leaders, saying, "I thank PM Modi, BJP national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah...I appeal to the youth to focus on sports and I will do everything in my capacity for the youth."

Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will be conducted on October 8.

There are a total number of 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, out of which seven seats are reserved for SCs and 9 seats are reserved for STs.

The National Conference and the Congress have forged a pre-poll alliance days ahead of the polls.

According to the Election Commission of India, Jammu and Kashmir has 88.06 lakh eligible electors.

These are the first assembly elections to be held in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.

In the previous Assembly elections, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 25, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) won 15, and the Congress won 12. (ANI)