 Sanjay Pandita/Sandeep Bhat
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 4: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has stepped up preparations for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Jammu and Kashmir, holding a crucial meeting of its core committee in Jammu on Friday to deliberate on potential candidates. While the meeting saw detailed discussions on possible names, the final decision has been left to the party’s central leadership in New Delhi.
According to sources, the local unit of the BJP has been asked to prepare and forward a panel of suitable candidates to the high command for consideration. The final selection will be made after consultations with senior central leaders, including members of the party’s parliamentary board.
“The high command will take the final call on the selection of candidates after weighing all political, regional, and organizational aspects,” a senior BJP leader told the Early Times.
Party insiders revealed that the BJP is fully aware of the current arithmetic in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, where it has the numbers to secure only one of the four Rajya Sabha seats. With this in mind, the selection of the candidate for the lone winnable seat will be a strategic and carefully calibrated move.
“The central leadership will look for a name that represents both political strength and organizational loyalty, someone who can further the party’s vision in the Upper House,” the sources added.
Although the BJP has announced its intention to contest three of the four seats, it is likely to focus its energies on the one seat wh Panel of names to be sent to Delhi; central leadership to decide based on political, regional, and electoral considerations
he meeting of the BJP core committee in Jammu was attended by senior leaders from the Union Territory.The discussions reportedly centered around potential names from different regions and communities to maintain regional and social balance.
“Multiple factors will be taken into consideration—such as contribution to the party, public image, political experience, and regional representation—before finalizing the names to be sent to Delhi,” said another BJP functionary.
Sources said the party high command is also keen to ensure that the selection reflects the changing political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly after the recent Assembly elections. The focus, they said, will be on finding candidates who can articulate the region’s aspirations in the national Parliament and strengthen the BJP’s political presence in the Union Territory.
“The BJP wants to strike a balance between seasoned leadership and fresh representation. The final decision will be guided by both organizational priorities and broader national strategy,” said a political analyst based in Jammu.
The BJP leadership is expected to finalize its candidates within the next few days. The party’s emphasis, sources said, will remain on ensuring that its nominees reflect both the party’s ideological commitment and regional aspirations.
The Rajya Sabha elections are expected to witness intense political activity in Jammu and Kashmir, as this will be the first such contest after the restoration of the Assembly and the reorganization of the Union Territory. |
