Putting an end to speculation, the BJP has decided not to enter into any pre-poll alliance and contest all the 87 seats in the forthcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
"We will have no pre-poll alliance with anyone in Jammu and Kashmir. We will contest all the 87 seats in all three regions of the state. We will also contest all the six Parliament seats on our own," Ashok Koul, General Secretary (Organization) of J&K state BJP, told DNA.
In the now-dissolved Legislative Assembly, the BJP was the second largest party with 25 MLAs — all from the Jammu region. The PDP, former ally of the BJP, was the single largest party with 28 MLAs. National Conference had 15 and Congress had 12 members in the dissolved House. Separatist-turned-pro-India leader Sajad Lone-led Peoples Conference (PC) had two MLAs while CPI(M) and J&K Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) had one member each. The rest were independents.
BJP had won three Lok Sabha seats out of the six in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014 general elections. The party had swept Jammu, winning both seats as well as a lone seat in Ladakh. PDP had won the other three seats in 2014.
"We had no pre-poll alliance with anyone in Assembly and general elections. We had fielded candidate even in Kupwara (where Sajad Lone's representative won the polls). This time too, we will go solo," said Koul.
This time BJP is aiming to win the majority of its own and form the next government in Jammu and Kashmir. "We will form the next government on our own. We may not need any support in forming the government," said Koul.
The decision of not having pre-poll alliance came just one-and-a-half months after Sajad Lone's PC staked claim to form the government with the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir after PDP, NC and Congress joined hands to form the government. Sajad Lone had been a close ally of BJP, and was given the cabinet berth from their quota in the previous Mehbooba Mufti-led government in the state.
A political formation requires 44 members for simple majority to form the government in the 87 member elected House. Two members are nominated in the Legislative Assembly.
Friends No More
- In the now-dissolved state Assembly, the BJP was the second largest party with 25 MLAs — all from the Jammu region.
- The PDP, which had formed a post-poll alliance with the BJP in the state, was the single largest party with 28 MLAs.
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