BJP gears up for PM’s first Srinagar visit since repeal of Article 370

The Bharatiya Janata Party is finalising preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kashmir on March 7, with party leaders saying they expect around one lakh people at his first rally in the Valley since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Modi will address a rally at Srinagar’s Bakshi stadium on Thursday.

This is going to be PM’s first rally in Kashmir in nine years, and second rally in J&K in the recent days. Modi will also chair a high level developmental review meeting regarding the Union Territory, where he will be briefed about the ongoing projects and security situation in the Valley.

The BJP on Saturday held a review meeting in Srinagar, that was chaired by party general secretary Sunil Sharma and attended by top leaders to review the arrangements of the rally.

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BJP’s J&K spokesperson Altaf Thakur said that the party workers were eager to listen to Modi and they mould mobilise their cadre across the Valley for the upcoming rally.

“We expect more than one lakh people to attend the rally. Modi has brought lot of development in the J&K during his tenure as the PM,” Thakur added.

The BJP will hold another meeting on March 4, that will be chaired by BJP senior leader and in-charge of J&K affairs Tarun Chugh.

Party workers privy to the details said that a rally in south Kashmir’s Anantnag was also planned earlier, which has been deferred for another date for now.

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The Prime Minister had visited Kashmir on February 3, 2019, to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for various development projects related to healthcare, higher education, skill development and employment in the erstwhile state.

On February 21, PM Modi addressed a rally in winter capital Jammu, and dedicated and laid foundation stones of projects worth ₹32,000 projects to J&K.

It was in November 2015 that Modi had addressed a rally at the SK Stadium in Srinagar, when the Peoples Democratic Party and the BJP were running a coalition government in J&K.

Modi had announced a central package of ₹8,000 crore for the region in the valley. The footprints and public outreach of the BJP has since increased across J&K, especially Kashmir. The rally is aimed at further strengthening the party in Kashmir and increase party’s vote bank in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, party workers said.

The party is also eyeing to bag Anantnag parliamentary seat, which got many areas of Poonch and Rajouri attached to it during delimitation.