Srinagar: Ahead of Block Development Council (BDC) polls in J&K, BJP National General Secretary (Org) Ram Madav arrived in
Valley on Saturday to hold a party workers convention on Sunday.
A local BJP leader told Kashmir Reader that Madav arrived to boost the morale of contesting candidates and party workers for the
BDC elections.
“For the first time in Jammu and Kashmir BDC polls are being held on October 24, and BJP candidates are likely to gain the
maximum seats in Kashmir,” he said.
In the party convention Madav is likely to address over 400 workers at Tagore Hall, Srinagar.
“The party functionaries like block in charges, district in charges, office bearers, senior workers, BDC candidates, panchayat
members, senior workers and leaders will attend the meet,” he said, adding, that it was a crucial meeting of party ahead of
second tier election of Panchayati Raj.
He said that special focus of the convention would be on BDC polls.
The party claims to have won 15 BDC seats unopposed in different districts of Kashmir.
“We have won six (6) seats unopposed in Shopian, four (4) in Pulwama, two (2) in Bandipora and one each in Anantnag, Budgam and
Ganderbal, as no other candidate has filed the nomination papers in these blocks,” he said.
Kashmir Valley has a total of 7528 Panches and Sarpanches and polls are yet to be held for 12565 Panchayat seats in Kashmir to
complete the first tier.
The first tier of Panchayati Raj elections were held in December last year, with two major political parties- National
Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) staying away from elections.
The second tier of polls (BDC) are being held despite boycott by major political parties after many of their leaders have been
held in detention post Article 370 abrogation.
Only Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded candidates to ensure maximum participation in its party favour.
The party was expecting to get the maximum seats in the total 316 BDCs of J&K, in which 147 are in Jammu region, 136 in Kashmir
and 31 in Ladakh.

Mir Iqbal