J&K Assembly Elections 2024: BJP Candidate List Released; Check 15 Names Here

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday released its first list of 15 candidates for the elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. Earlier in the day, the BJP released a list with 44 names but deleted it soon after.

The 15 candidates have been picked for the first phase of polls. According to PTI, the party said the names for the second and third phases of polls carried in an earlier list should not be considered. No changes have been made in the candidates picked for the first phase, NDTV reported.

August 27 is the last date for filing nominations for the first phase and the process for the second and third phases will begin from August 29 and September 5 respectively.

The party has chosen to field its candidates for a few Kashmir constituencies, including Pampore, Shopian, Anantnag West and Anantnag.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the BJP's campaign in the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP national president J P Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were also included in the list of 40 star campaigners submitted by the party to the Election Commission.

Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Manohar Lal Khattar, G Kishan Reddy, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Jitendra Singh and former union ministers Anurag Thakur and Smriti Irani and Gen (Retd.) V K Singh besides Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur are other prominent faces who will visit Jammu and Kashmir during the campaigning.

In a letter addressed to the Election Commission, BJP national general secretary and in-charge headquarters Arun Singh said the list of the 40 star campaigners of the party may be treated as valid for the remaining phases "unless we forward an amended list" within the prescribed time limit.

The BJP's Central Election Committee had met on Sunday evening to finalise the party's candidates for the polls. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is going to polls in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1. The counting of votes is scheduled for October 4.

In the last assembly elections held in 2014, when Jammu and Kashmir was a full-fledged state, the BJP had won 25 seats.

(With PTI inputs)