Sikh members demand minority status, Punjabi language in schools; Sending detailed report from all zones of Kashmir, Jammu region to party high command on Aug 18, final manifesto shortly: Ashok Koul
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir BJP has wrapped up its process of massive feedback exercise in all zones of the UT ahead of framing a compact poll manifesto by the high command in New Delhi even as jobs, free rice and minimum power tariff is what people have sought in all the interactions BJP leader have held so far.
BJP started the feedback exercise in a bid to make a people-friendly poll manifesto for the J&K Assembly polls commencing from September 18 in three phases. J&K will witness its first assembly election after a decade. It will also be the first election in J&K after the revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019 when Centre sliced the erstwhile state into two UTs- J&K and Ladakh.
A senior BJP leader told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that it had formed different zone-wise committees in both regions of Jammu and Kashmir to get feedback from people on their demands so that a people-friendly manifesto could be framed. “We are done with the exercise and a detailed report will be sent to the party high command on August 18. We are expecting the election manifesto to be out any time after August 25,” said a BJP leader, who was part of one of the feedback committees.
In South, North and Central Kashmir most common demands of the people were—jobs, free ration (5 kg per family member) and minimum power tariff besides local issues of sadak, pani and bijli.
“We met all sections of the society including youth. They demanded government jobs, free ration and minimum power tariff. These are the most common demands we got from the people during our feedback exercise in Kashmir,” he said. He said that in Kashmir, Sikh members demanded minority status and introduction of Punjabi language in schools.
In Jammu, another BJP leader said the demands were almost similar to what people have sought in Kashmir. “There is not much difference between the demands put forth by Kashmiri people and people belonging to the Jammu region. In Jammu, people also sought slashing of power tariff, government jobs for youth and free ration. They also demanded improvement in drainage system, upgradation of schools, colleges and health infrastructure,” the BJP leader said, adding that in some remote constituencies, people demanded road connectivity and installation of mobile towers.
“In nut-shell, the demands of Kashmiri and Jammu people are more or less the same,” he said.
BJP General Secretary (Org) Ashok Koul said that a detailed report will be sent to party high command in New Delhi and the final poll manifesto will be out any time after Aug 25. What remains to be seen is what would be the poll plank of regional parties like National Conference and PDP who have fought earlier elections promising protection to Article 370.