JK polls: BJP releases first list of 44 candidates, trims it to 16 amid internal rumblings

New Delhi/Jammu: The BJP on Monday named 16 candidates for the first phase of elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly to be held on September 18.

The party had earlier released its first list of 44 candidates but put out a revised one a few hours later, withdrawing names for the second and third phases, amid disgruntlement among a section of party cadre over a few names in the original list.

While Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina downplayed the resentment over the initial list, a group of party workers held a protest at its headquarters in Jammu and claimed "parachute candidates" were picked over hardworking workers.

The list of 16 candidates for the first phase includes three former MLAs and a woman candidate, Shagun Parihar, whose father Ajeet Parihar and uncle Anil Parihar were gunned down by terrorists in Kishtwar district in November 2018. The Parihar brothers were affiliated with the BJP.

The initial list covered 36 segments in the Jammu region and eight in the Kashmir Valley. It included nearly a dozen prominent leaders, including several former ministers who have joined the party in the last five years.

Ten former MLAs, including ex-deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh and ex-Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Sat Paul Sharma, have been dropped.

Sharing the revised list of candidates, the BJP said the names for the second and third phases should be considered withdrawn.

In the Jammu region's Chenab Valley, the BJP has fielded former ministers Sunil Sharma (Padder-Nagseni constituency) and Shakti Raj Parihar (Doda-West), former MLA Daleep Singh Parihar (Bhaderwah), Shagun Parihar (Kishtwar), Tariq Keen (Inderwal), Gajay Singh Rana (Doda), Rakesh Thakur (Ramban) and Salim Bhat (Banihal).

The BJP's Neelam Kumar Langeh had won the Ramban constituency in the 2014 elections but was dropped this time.

In the Kashmir Valley, the BJP has fielded its vice president Sofi Yousu (Srigufwara-Bijbehara), Syed Showkat Gayoor Andrabi (Pampore), Arshid Bhat (Rajpora), Javed Ahmad Qadri (Shopian), Mohd Rafiq Wani (Anantnag West), Syed Wazahat (Anantnag), Veer Saraf (Shangus-Anantnag East) and Choudhary Roshan Hussain Gujjar (Kokernag-ST).

Some angry BJP workers from different assembly constituencies staged a protest at the party headquarters over the leadership "ignoring" hardworking workers and giving the mandate to "parachute candidates".

"I have been associated with the party for the last 18 years and have worked day and night to strengthen it but the mandate was given to a person who joined the party only a few days back," said BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha president Jagdish Bhagat.

Welcoming the withdrawal of the initial list, he said, "We hope that party leaders would be given the mandate instead of those who have done nothing for the party." "If they ignore us, there will be serious consequences. We will not allow any wrongdoing and will protest against this injustice within the party," Bhagat said.

Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Raina, however, said the party is like a family where it does not matter who gets the mandate as "we believe in nation first, party second and self last".

Speaking to reporters at the BJP headquarters, he said the list of the 16 candidates for the first phase was released by the Central Election Committee after a long discussion and subsequent lists for the second and third phases will follow shortly.

"The BJP is fully prepared for the elections. We work like a family and thousands of our workers are ready to make their contribution to the success of our candidates," he said.

"Our mission is the victory of our party... there are many types of discussions and issues within a party. The last date for filing nominations for the first phase is August 27 and so the list of 16 candidates was released," he added.

Earlier, BJP chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi said party leaders and workers are united and will work tirelessly for the success of all candidates.

"There is no heartburn or confusion. We should not make any presumptions and wait for the fresh lists," he said.

So far, 14 candidates have filed their nomination papers for the first phase of elections which will cover 24 assembly segments -- 16 in Kashmir and eight in Jammu. The last date for filing nominations is August 27.

The process of filing nominations for the second and third phases will begin from August 29 and September 5 respectively.

The BJP's Central Election Committee had met on Sunday evening to finalise the candidates for the polls.

The second and third phases of elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be held on September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 4.

In the last assembly elections held in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014, when it was a full-fledged state, the BJP had won 25 seats. The party is making all-out efforts to fend off the challenge from a resurgent Congress, which has tied up with the National Conference, especially in the Jammu region, a BJP bastion since 2014.