LoP Sharma accuses govt of delaying local polls
Jammu, Jul 07: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Nitin Nabin on Tuesday chaired a joint meeting of party MPs, MLAs, former legislators, and senior functionaries at the BJP headquarters in Trikuta Nagar, Jammu, to review organisational affairs, outline the party’s strategy for Jammu and Kashmir, and discuss preparations for the 2029 Parliamentary elections.
Originally planned as separate interactions with district leaders, elected representatives, and former legislators, the meetings were merged into a single session following changes in Nabin’s schedule. Deliberations centred on strengthening the BJP’s organisational structure in the Union Territory, expanding public outreach, reinforcing nationalist ideology, and addressing security and governance issues.
Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the meeting reviewed the party’s roadmap for the 2029 Parliamentary elections and assessed organisational preparedness across Jammu and Kashmir.
Sharma accused the Jammu and Kashmir Government of deliberately delaying local body and panchayat elections. “It is concerning that the J&K Government is deliberately delaying local body and panchayat elections and is not committed to establishing a true three-tier democracy in the Union Territory,” he said.
Addressing party leaders, Nabin said the BJP would continue working for the development of Jammu and Kashmir while discharging the responsibilities of a constructive opposition.
Calling his visit significant as it coincided with the 125th birth anniversary of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee, he said the programme was primarily aimed at reviewing organisational affairs and interacting with party workers.
Nabin asserted that the abrogation of Article 370 had fundamentally transformed Jammu and Kashmir by integrating it more closely with the rest of the country. “Our MLAs and workers will remain vigilant and continue to raise issues concerning the people. Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed significant changes after the removal of Article 370,” he said, adding that the region was registering progress in infrastructure development, tourism, women’s empowerment, and preservation of cultural heritage.
Highlighting the ideological significance of Jammu and Kashmir for the party, Nabin said the BJP’s roots were linked to the movement for “Ek Pradhan, Ek Nishan”, associated with the sacrifice of Syama Prasad Mukherjee. “Jammu and Kashmir is the ideological cradle of the BJP. The party’s foundation is rooted in the movement for ‘Ek Pradhan, Ek Nishan’ (One Constitution, One Flag), which began with the sacrifice of Mukherjee,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Nabin, accompanied by BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh, visited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office Keshav Bhawan at Amphalla, where he met senior Sangh functionaries. He also paid floral tributes to veteran Praja Parishad and Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Prem Nath Dogra at his statue and interacted with BJP workers, including representatives of the Gujjar and Bakerwal communities. He participated in programmes marking Mukherjee’s 125th birth anniversary at Dogra Chowk before proceeding to the party headquarters.
Nabin cuts short J&K visit, skips Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president cut short his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, cancelling his scheduled pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and returning to New Delhi due to official commitments, party leaders said.
Nabin, who arrived in Jammu on Monday afternoon on his maiden visit to the Union Territory after taking over as the BJP president, attended a series of organisational meetings during his brief stay. He visited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters and later chaired a joint meeting of the BJP’s sitting and former legislators at the party’s Trikuta Nagar headquarters, which lasted around one-and-a-half hours and focused on organisational matters.
The BJP president was scheduled to visit the revered Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop the Trikuta Hills in Reasi district on Tuesday. However, the programme was cancelled following a change in his itinerary.
While the BJP did not officially specify the reason for the revised schedule, senior party leaders said Nabin had to return to the national capital because of official commitments, with party insiders saying he is expected to attend an important organisational meeting in New Delhi. The change in schedule brought his maiden visit to Jammu and Kashmir as the BJP’s national president to an earlier-than-planned conclusion. (KNO)
