SRINAGAR: The Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir would be fought on Article 370 with both the BJP and opposition parties to focus their poll campaigning in the Union Territory on the Article 370, which granted special status to the region.
Jammu and Kashmir would witness five phase polling for five Lok Sabha seats. The Udhampur LS seat would go to polls on April 19, Jammu constituency on April 26, Anantnag-Rajouri seat on May 7, Srinagar constituency on May 13 and Baramulla seat on May 26.
It is the first parliamentary polls to be held in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A and the bifurcation of erstwhile J&K state into two Union Territories (UTs) by the centre on August 5, 2019.
While the dominant sentiment in Kashmir still vouches for Article 370, in Jammu, citizens have shown mixed feelings with some sections supporting the abrogation of J&K’s special status and others not doing so.
A BJP leader said since it is the first LS polls to be held after Article 370 abrogation, the main plank of the party during the campaigning would be Article 370 repeal and its positive impact on the state.
He said the Article 370 repeal has opened the path of development in Jammu and Kashmir and hundreds of developmental works and projects have been taken up since August 2019.
“There is peace in the region, which has led to the flourishing of the tourism sector. Over 2 crore tourists visited J&K last year, which is a record. It has opened doors for investment and also provided empowerment of economically backward classes and West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs), who were being treated as B-category citizens in J&K before Article 370 repeal,” the BJP leader said.