BJP announces five more candidates for Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls

BJP on Tuesday announced five more candidates, including four muslim faces, for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir ssembly elections while releasing its third list of candidates. The BJP has so far declared 72 candidates out of a total of 87 seats in the State assembly, of which 20 muslims have been fielded.

While Abdul Rehman Lone will contest from Kupwara constituency, Abdul Rashid Zargar will contest from Lolab, M M War from Langate seat and Ghulam Hassan Zargar from the Kulgam seat.

The party has also fielded Nirmal Singh from Billawar assembly constituency. The party's Central Election Committee cleared the names of five more candidates for the State assembly elections starting November 25, party general secretary and CEC Secretary J P Nadda said.

Buoyed with the party's recent successes in Haryana and Maharashtra, the BJP is optimistic of performing well in the upcoming assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand as well.

The BJP has also chalked out a strategy for Jammu and Kashmir and is working in close coordination with smaller parties. The party is likely to carry along some moderate separatists in the Valley and may align with some of them after the polls.

The assembly polls in the state will start from November 25 and will be held in five phases ending on December 20. The results will be out on December 23.