Today in Politics: PM Modi to kickstart election campaign with rallies in Doda, Kurukshetra

The Assembly seats in the Chenab valley vote in the first phase of J&K’s Assembly polls on September 18. In 2014, the last time elections were held in J&K, the BJP had won four of these six Assembly seats.

After the 2022 delimitation exercise, two new constituencies — Doda West and Padder-Nagseni — have been carved out from the Doda and Kishtwar districts. Now, there are eight seats in the Chenab Valley. Apart from Doda West and Padder-Nagseni, the other six are Doda, Bhaderwah, Inderwal, Kishtwar, Ramban and Banihal.

All eyes will be on the messaging of the PM’s rally.

In context: The seats in Chenab Valley assume significance for the BJP as the area is predominantly inhabited by Muslims and is close to South Kashmir. Although it has fielded only 19 candidates in the Valley this time, the BIP plans to make inroads into South Kashmir in the future.

A group of party insiders said the party was not “expecting any miracles” in Kashmir this time around, and that the decision to field only 19 candidates was a “tactical” move, to help boost the numbers of some Independent candidates who have the potential to pull off an upset. Sources said the BJP was open to backing the candidates who have the potential to upset nominees of “dynastic” political parties.

After the rally in Jammu, the PM will address another rally in Kurukshetra — his first ahead of next month’s Haryana Assembly elections. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday appealed to people to attend the rally in large numbers. “The “lotus” is going to bloom for a third time in the state as the BJP is set to return to power, he added.

Polling in Haryana will take place on October 5 while the votes will be counted on October 8.

Also happening: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday will address the inaugural session of the Akhil Bharatiya Rajbhasha Sammelan in New Delhi to commemorate the completion of 75 years of Hindi becoming the official language.

After a gap of several years, the ruling BJP is going to hold a protest in Uttar Pradesh. The party’s Yuva Morcha on Saturday will burn the effigies of Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav at all district headquarters in protest against his remarks that “there is not much difference between Mathadheesh (the head of a mutt) and mafia”. Akhilesh made the comment when a mediaperson sought his response to a statement of Chief minister Yogi Adityanath criticising the SP chief. Akhilesh’s comment is being seen as an attack on Adityanath who is the head priest of Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur.

—- With PTI inputs