Religion cannot deny anyone from holding Jammu-Kashmir chief minister's post: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said that a person's religion or faith cannot be a criteria to bar him or her from holding a top constitutional post, including that of chief minister.

BJP spokesman Nalin Kohli said on Monday, "Whoever will be the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, he is going to be obviously a citizen of that state, an elected member of the state legislative assembly."

Kohli further told ANI, "And, in any case there is no bar on anyone from being a chief minister of the state who is duly elected to the house, so it doesn't matter. Whatever be the religion, there cannot be a bar in terms of that."

Kohli was responding to Congress leader Sham Lal Sharma's suggestion that people elect a Hindu as the next chief minister of the state.

The Election Commission on Saturday announced that elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in five-phases beginning from November 25. The elections in the state will take place on November 25, December 2, December 9, December 14 and December 20. The counting of votes will take place on December 23.

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly comprises 87 members. The term of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly expires on January 19 next year.