Amid reports that Delimitation Commission is going to submit its final report within a week, the BJP has started preparations for the coming assembly elections to form its government in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
During its core-group meeting on Saturday, the top leadership of the J&K BJP devised a comprehensive strategy to make inroads in new areas, especially in the Kashmir Valley where the party is desperate to open its account.
Wishing anonymity, one of the members of the BJP's core group told International Business Times that this time party will contest assembly elections to form the government in J&K.
"Our focus is on the Kashmir Valley and twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri of Jammu province", he said, adding, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally at Palli village in Samba district on April 24 was the beginning of the party's election campaign in J&K".
Buoyed by the massive turnout in the rally, J&K BJP has decided to organize various programmes in the days to come to continue the tempo. The party will launch a mass contact programme, across the UT, from next month and the party will also take up the issues concerning the common masses to counter opposition propaganda.
Focussing on Paharies to make inroads in Kashmir Valley
The BJP leadership has realized that without roping ethnic groups it is difficult rather impossible for the party to expand its footprints into new areas so the focus of the Saffron Party is on Paharies.
Not only in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu province but Paharies are also a dominant force in many areas of Kashmir Valley, especially in North Kashmir's Baramulla and Kupwara districts.
The BJP has promised to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Pahari-speaking population of J&K.
The Rajouri and Poonch districts are populated by the Gujjars and Pahari-speaking people. While Gujjars are already on the list of Scheduled Tribes since 1991, the Pahari-speaking communities have been demanding their similar inclusion since 2002-03. Their demand gained much momentum in the recent months after hints of commitment from the senior leadership of the BJP.
In case Union Government declares the Pahari-speaking people Scheduled Tribe as well ahead of the elections, it will help BJP to make inroads in new areas.
Proposed grand alliance- the biggest challenge before BJP
Although the BJP has set a target of winning 50-plus seats in the coming assembly elections in J&K, efforts of opposition parties to form a grand alliance are the biggest challenge before the Saffron Party.
Former Chief Minister and vice president of the National Conference Omar Abdullah on Wednesday has mooted the idea that all constituents of the Peoples' Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) would contest the coming Assembly elections jointly.
Echoing in a similar voice, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief and ex-Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has also given the same proposal to stop BJP.
