BJP sounds poll bugle in Kashmir, rules out alliance

Tribune News Service
Srinagar, March 14

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sounded the poll bugle for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Thursday. It ruled out the possibility of any pre-election alliance.

The party held a convention at Sher-e-Kashmir Park where it vowed to contest the elections with “full force” from three Parliamentary constituencies. Party leaders hoped for the lotus to bloom in Kashmir. Addressing the gathering, national BJP Vice-President and J&K chief Avinash Rai Khanna said: “This meeting was related to the election preparations. I was told that this was Sher-e-Kashmir Park (named after National Conference founder Sheikh Abdullah)... Our flags are waving and I congratulated my workers for this. We have the ability to win all three seats in Kashmir. Our representative should go to Parliament and speak about the problems of Kashmir.” Later, he told the media that the party would fight alone without any pre-poll alliance.

‘Camera shy’ BJP workers

Even as the BJP managed to gather a crowd of a few hundred people at Sher-e-Kashmir Park, videos of its workers hiding their faces from the camera went viral on the social media. Though the BJP claims that it had gained acceptance in the Valley, the photographs and videos triggered angry comments on the social media from the locals.