Srinagar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired a high-level meeting of Jammu and Kashmir BJP’s “core group” at his residence in New Delhi to assess the ground situation and party functioning ahead of the local body polls in the Union Territory and 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Quoting sources, news agency KNS reported that the meeting, which was convened in a hurry as leaders from J&K’s BJP unit were called late last night to reach Delhi today, held discussions over several issues including the party’s functioning on the ground and security situation.
The meeting was attended by BJP national president JP Nadda, J&K incharge Tarun Chugh, former deputy chief minister of J&K Kavinder Gupta, Union minister and Udhampur MP Jitendra Singh, Ashok Koul, Nirmal Singh, Devendra Maniyal, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Bibdoh Gupta, Sunil Sharma, Sat Paul Sharma and Shakti Parihar.
Sources said that the meeting held threadbare discussions to assess the position and functioning of the party at the ground level, particularly in view of the upcoming local body and panchayat polls in J&K, likely to be held this year and the national polls scheduled to be held next year.
The meeting was earlier scheduled to be held at 11 am in the morning but was postponed to 3 pm.
Sources added that local issues impacting the image of the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir were also taken up during the meeting.
“Overall review of the functioning of the party’s J&K unit was taken in the meeting keeping in view the upcoming local body and panchayat polls that are due to take place this year only in the Union Territory,” they said.
Local body and panchayat polls are due to take place in J&K later this year, however, there is no clarity yet on the dates as and when the elections will take place.
Earlier, on Saturday Union Minister and Member Parliament from Udhampur Dr Jitendar Singh had said that the BJP was ready for assembly and local body elections in J&K but the call had to be taken by the Election Commission.
