The BJP is shaping its poll narrative around the positive impacts of abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, as its senior leader Jugal Kishore Sharma filed the nomination papers for the Jammu parliamentary constituency on March 30.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur accompanied Mr. Sharma, who is seeking a third term in Parliament, to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Later, Mr. Thakur led a road show in the city and set the party’s tone for the upcoming elections.
“J&K has a special place in the heart of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. By abrogating articles 370 and 35A, he has ended stone pelting and terrorism in the State. Terrorism-related incidents have come down by 75%, killings of locals have gone down by 81% and killing of security forces have also decreased by 50%. This is all possible because of a strong government at the Centre,” Mr. Thakur said.
Highlighting the post-August 5, 2019 development projects in Jammu and Kashmir like “IIT, IIM, 11 medical colleges, Vande Bharat train, four lane highways and six lane expressway”, Mr. Thakur said the Union Territory has treaded a developmental path helmed by the Modi government.
Tarun Chugh, another senior BJP leader, underlined that the movie, Article 370, shows how J&K was turned into a terror industry via Article 370. “However, under PM Modi’s leadership, Article 370 and Article 35(A) were revoked and J&K has been brought to the path of development, and it has now been turned into a tourism capital,” Mr. Chugh said.
Meanwhile, on the electoral bonds, the Union Minister Thakur said: “The BJP has around 400 MPs in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and we have got ₹6,000 crore through electoral bonds whereas a party like TMC has got ₹1,600 crore.
Through electoral bonds, the money has gone straight to political parties whereas during the Congress regime, 95% was going to the pockets of their leaders.”
