Jammu and Kashmir civic polls: BJP fields 74 candidates amid boycott calls by NC, PDP

Jammu: Seventy four BJP candidates have filed nominations for polls to various municipal bodies in the Kashmir Valley amid boycott calls by various political parties and the threat of violence by militants, a party leader said. “Amid the threats and boycott calls, 74 BJP workers filed nominations for the urban local body polls in the Valley,” Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina said Wednesday. The nominations were filed for municipal bodies of Srinagar, Kulgam, Devsar, Bandipora, and Qazigund in the Valley. [caption id=“attachment_5252501” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] The list of candidates for the first phase of the polls was finalised by Raina along with state BJP general secretary Ashok Kaul, MLC Sofi Yousuf and the party’s Kashmir in-charge Sunil Sharma. Congratulating party workers on filing nominations, Raina hoped that BJP’s sincere efforts would strengthen democracy at the grassroots level in the Valley. Raina said all those boycotting or opposing the civic polls were doing injustice to the common people. He said the BJP is the real well-wisher of the people of Kashmir and urged them to come forward and vote for peace, prosperity and development. The National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have called for a boycott of the elections in October while militants have threatened acid attacks against candidates contesting the polls. The voting for the first phase of the civic body polls covering the valley will take place on 8 October, officials said.