Lok Sabha Elections 2024 News Jammu and Kashmir: Days after the announcement of the list of candidates for two Parliamentary Constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir, the Saffron party has decided to go for a 'wait and watch' strategy on Rajouri- Anantnag seat which the party considers as its golden opportunity to make inroads in Kashmir valley, that too via a Muslim majority seat. 

Saffron party has taken the route of Mughal Road, not the Jammu Srinagar National, to take its political cart to Kashmir valley as the recent move of granting Scheduled Tribe status to Pahari communities, has brought some shine to the eyes of its leaders.

BJP goes for 'wait and watch' strategy

BJP has decided to go for a 'wait and wait' strategy on Rajouri- Anantnag seat as they hold nerves to see the opposition candidate on this seat. It is very unlikely that BJP will be announcing the candidate for this seat anytime soon as most of its leaders who are to hold 'negotiations' are busy making arrangements for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mega rally in Kashmir, which is the first visit of PM to Kashmir valley since the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A on 5 August 2019.

On alliance of opposition in Jammu and Kashmir, two key functionaries in Kashmir of a think thank told the Republic Media that it will be too early to say that there will be an alliance of NC-PDP-Congress in Jammu and Kashmir out of some 'sweet' statements; the internal pressure on Mehbooba to stay away from alliance as they are too seek votes independently in Assembly polls which are around the corner anytime.

The Number Game for BJP's Mission Kashmir

In Rajouri- Anantnag Lok Sabha seat, which has a population of over 26 lakh- 17 Lakh in Kashmir and 9 Lakh in Jammu region, is BJP's new mission for entering Kashmir valley via Mughal Road. Constituted by 18 parliamentary constituencies, 14 lakh voters are in this newly carved parliamentary constituency and 90% of them are Muslim voters whom BJP will be aiming to get support from.

The recent announcement of Scheduled Tribe status to the Pahari community in Jammu and Kashmir can be a game changer for the saffron party as the Rajouri- Anantnag Lok Sabha Seat has 28.5 % Pahari population as voters. The Lok Sabha constituency has over 50% Kashmiri Muslim voters, which haven't turned to vote in large numbers in the past as no party has ever been able to garner more than 2.5 lakh votes since 1971 and in the last Lok Sabha Polls in 2019, the total votes polled were just 1.24 Lakh.

In 2019, Anantnag parliamentary constituency had a total of 13.9 lakh voters, out of which only 1.25 lakh turned out to cast their vote. National Conference candidate Hasnain Masoodi won and became MP from this seat by securing a total of 40180 votes. Indian National Congress candidate Ghulam Ahmad Mir stood second with a total of 33504 votes and lost by 6676 votes.