BJP seeks party consensus on deferring state elections

Dinesh Manhotra

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Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 10

Notwithstanding the ‘public posturing’ by BJP leaders, a group within the party’s state unit is trying to evolve a consensus among senior leaders to get the Assembly elections deferred in J&K.

Ahead of BJP national president Amit Shah’s visit to Jammu on February 24, the group has intensified its campaign to convey the message to him during the core group meeting.

Highly placed sources said during the last two days, hectic parleys were going on to bring all senior leaders on the same page on the issue of deferring Assembly elections before the visit of Amit Shah. “Although the party is divided on simultaneous elections, an influential group is mounting pressure on all leaders to unanimously ask the high command to defer Assembly polls,” a senior party leader, wishing anonymity, told The Tribune, adding, “The central leadership has asked the state unit to give its report about Assembly polls in the state”.

The sources said Amit Shah would seek a report from the state leadership about the preparations of the party for the Assembly elections.

“On the basis of the state unit’s report, the BJP high command will take a final call on simultaneous elections in J&K,” a source said and added that a majority of party ex-MLAs were in favour of holding simultaneous polls.

During the recent visit of top RSS leader Manmohan Vaidya, a group of BJP leaders had supported deferring Assembly elections to accomplish the ‘nationalist agenda’ during the Governor’s regime.