Ram Madhav denies BJP opposes early assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Sunday rejected reports that his party was opposed to holding an early assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir, calling the claims untrue.

Going it alone

According to sources, Madhav said the BJP would prefer to contest the election on its own and would field candidates across the state. He saw little chance of a pre-poll alliance with any party, but said the BJP would be open to partnering others after the vote to form a stable government. He predicted that the BJP would emerge as the single largest party.

Given the particular circumstances of Jammu and Kashmir, he said, the BJP would not hesitate to join hands with other parties to form a government.

The PDP alliance and Modi’s visit

Recalling the BJP’s earlier tie-up with the PDP after the 2014 assembly election, Madhav said that alliance had been formed on the basis of a common minimum programme.

He also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned visit to Jammu, Ladakh and the Kashmir valley, saying the visit would launch the BJP’s campaign in the state for both the Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

What happened next

In August 2019 Parliament ended Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 and reorganised the state into two union territories. An assembly election was eventually held in 2024: the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference won 42 seats, the BJP 29, the Congress 6 and the PDP 3, and Omar Abdullah became Chief Minister.

See also: Bharatiya Janata Party and elections

Originally published on 21 January 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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