BJP to announce first list of candidates for Assembly polls on Oct 31

Srinagar, Oct 29 : With the Assembly elections round the corner the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to announce its first list of candidates for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls on October 31.
Sources told that the BJP will release its first list of candidates for first two phases on October 31 after party’s senior leaders including national president Amit Shah are free from oath ceremony of Devendra Fadnavis as Maharashtra Chief Minister.
Sources said that the Party’s Campaign will be spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top Union Ministers. Polling for the 87 seats will take place on November 25, December 2, 9, 14 and 20.
In first phase, Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar, Leh, Kargil, Bandipora and Ganderbal districts will go to polls while in second phase, Udhampur, Reasi, Poonch, Kupwara and Kulgam districts will have elections.
Meanwhile, Ramesh Arora BJP’s Kashmir affairs in charge told  that they had a detailed meeting and reviewed the names of the candidates, which are almost finalized and the list will has been handed over to the party high command in New Delhi.
“BJP will accomplish Mission 44 plus and is quite hopeful of forming next government in Jammu and Kashmir on its own,” he said.
Meanwhile, sources said the BJP top leadership has decided to review performance of all 10 sitting MLAs before taking a decision on repeating them or changing candidates in their segments. BJP had 11 MLAs but it has expelled Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, MLA Jammu West. Recently, two times JSM MLA from Bishnah Ashwani Sharma joined the BJP.
“The BJP decision comes in the wake of reports that some of the party MLAs was facing anti-incumbency as their performance was not satisfactory. The party didn’t rule out denying mandate to some of the sitting MLAs,” sources told.