Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Doda in Jammu and Kashmir this Saturday to address a public rally backing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the Union Territory.
The elections, spread over three phases, will take place on September 18, 25, and October 1, with the vote counting scheduled for October 8. Union Minister Jitendra Singh visited the rally site on Friday to review the arrangements for the public meeting on September 14.
Singh emphasised the significance of the visit, noting that it marks the first time in nearly five decades that a Prime Minister has visited Doda. He highlighted the excitement in the region, pointing out that PM Modi has made remote areas a priority. Singh added that Doda has seen substantial development over the past decade, and Modi’s visit will send a clear message of progress for previously underserved regions.
Jammu and Kashmir are gearing up for their first elections in a decade, with the last assembly election having taken place in 2014. The Union Territory comprises 90 Assembly constituencies, including 7 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 9 for Scheduled Tribes (STs). According to the Election Commission of India, there are 8.8 million eligible voters in the region.
In the 2014 elections, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) secured 28 seats, while the BJP won 25. The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) and Congress won 15 and 12 seats, respectively. The PDP-BJP coalition government collapsed in 2018 when the BJP withdrew its support from then-Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
This year’s elections hold historical significance as they will be the first since the abrogation of Article 370, marking a new chapter in the political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir.
