"Party Will Win 30-35 seats": J&K BJP Chief Ravinder Raina Ahead of Counting of Votes in UT

Nowshera (Jammu and Kashmir): Ahead of the counting of votes in Jammu and Kashmir, J-K BJP chief and candidate from Nowshera Assembly, Ravinder Raina on Tuesday exuded confidence in BJP's victory in the Union Territory and said that the party will win 30-35 seats.

The counting of votes for assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled to commence at 8 am on Tuesday.

After performing the havan, a BJP candidate from Nowshera Assembly said, "We are confident that BJP and its supporting parties will win the elections with full majority...We will win 30-35 seats."

Former Deputy CM and BJP leader Kavinder Gupta asserted that the BJP would emerge as the largest party in the Union Territory and would win the elections.

"The BJP has taken people in J-K on the path to development, they have taken away from stone pelting. They have been freed of separatism, terrorism, corruption, and dynasties. So, the manner in which we have headed from bullet to ballot, from terrorism to tourism, people have voted for the BJP and it will emerge as the largest party and we will form the party," Gupta told ANI.

On exit polls, he said that results will be in the favour of the BJP .

"There are differences between the numbers in exit polls and our numbers. We have been among the people...We know the opinion of people...Results will be in the favour of BJP ," he added.

Meanwhile, Vikram Randhawa, a BJP candidate from the Bahu Assembly constituency visited Bawe Wali Mata Mahakali Mandir in Jammu.

Ahead of the counting of the votes, the security has been heightened at various counting centres in Jammu, Rajouri, Srinagar and Ramban.

The J-K assembly election for 90 constituencies was held over three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1, respectively.

In Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Electoral Officer PK Pole said CCTVs have been set up in each counting hall for record creation.

"Counting will begin at 7.30 am for postal ballots and 8 am for EVMs. Polls were held peacefully and no candidate or political party faced any kind of difficulty. Violence-free public participation was witnessed," Pole told ANI.

"Postal ballots will be counted first, after which EVM counting will begin. In every district headquarters, counting centres have been set up. Counting of territorial polling stations will be done in 25 locations and counting of migrant polling stations will be done in 3 locations. All arrangements have been made. Candidates have also given information about their counting agents. EVMs are kept in a triple layer security. The outermost layer consists of police, the middle layer is guarded by the CAPF, and the inner layer consists of a dedicated section which mans the counting centre round the clock," he added.

Exit polls have predicted that the National Conference- Congress alliance has an edge in Jammu and Kashmir.

The results are likely to reflect political sentiments as parties gear up for upcoming electoral battles in Maharashtra , Jharkhand .

(Inputs from ANI)