The Bharatiya Janata Party has for the moment given up efforts for making a new government in Jammu and Kashmir and instead started preparing for panchayat and parliamentary polls in the state, according to the state unit of the saffron party.
The party national secretary Ram Madhav who was scheduled to begin his two-day visit to the state from Saturday has postponed it, BJP general secretary (organization), Ashok Kaul told Greater Kashmir.
“He (Madhav) is busy in north east and new dates will be fixed soon,” Kaul said.
Madhav’s itinerary included a visit to Basoli in Kathua, the constituency represented by Choudhary Lal Singh. Singh purportedly played a BJP rebel for months after his sacking for supporting the persons accused of rape and murder of a minor Bakerwal girl of Rasana village.
Kaul said so far there is nothing in pipeline about government formation in J&K.
“There is no such activity and we are busy in strengthening party in state,” he said.
“Right now I am in Kargil meeting people and am garnering support for BJP.”
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior BJP leader told Greater Kashmir there was no political consideration behind withdrawing support to its former ally, the People’s Democratic Party.
“It was purely on account of the growing public perception that the state needed Governor’s administration for some time as things in the last one and a half month had deteriorated fast,” he said, adding that the political leadership was not doing enough to address the situation.
“It was purely in the national interest, and the interest of the state. I can tell you that if political pressure was the reason we would have done it long ago.”
Kaul said that party was preparing for panchayat and parliamentary elections.
“In Ladakh region we are here for upcoming panchayat and parliament election campaign,” he said, adding the party will start its campaign in Kashmir valley from 23 July.
“Elections to urban local bodies will boost the democratic fabric in the state by providing administration at the door step of common individual,” Kaul said.
“We have formed a fool-proof strategy to cement party’s win in the local elections.”