Lok Sabha Polls: BJP hopeful of better results, NC-Congress alliance mere ‘drama’, says Ram Madhav

Bharatiya Janata Party’s national general secretary Ram Madhav on Wednesday said the party hopes to perform better in Jammu and Kashmir in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls than it did in the 2014 parliamentary elections. Hitting out at the National Conference-Congress alliance, Ram Madhav called the seat-sharing pact a drama. "This drama that is going on that they are in alliance in Jammu, but fighting in Kashmir. They are trying various types of exercises against Modi and the BJP, let them do it. We will win two seats in Jammu and one in Ladakh and will try our best in Kashmir so that our candidates go forward," he said.

Unfortunately, regional parties don’t understand the aspirations of local people here, he said. “They are repeating old policies for their own benefit. During municipal election they asked people to boycott, giving reasons like 370 or 35-A, we haven’t changed any stand on these issues,” he said.

“Character of regional parties is evident from a fact that their elected Parliamentary candidate praised Pakistan? There should be a FIR against Akbar Lone for his pro-Pakistan statement. They call themselves Mujahideen? Don’t these (Militants) rape women and kill teenage people in Kashmir,” he said.

Commenting on reports that Pakistan will allow a corridor for Sharda Peeth pilgrimage in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Madhav said the Centre would take a decision on that "but terrorism is the biggest challenge. All other issues will be resolved once the issue of terrorism is tackled," he said. 

The Lok Sabha elections will begin on April 11 and continue for over a month till May 19 across seven phases, followed by counting of votes on May 23. The polling will be held on April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19 for 543 Lok Sabha seats across the country in which nearly 90 crore voters would be eligible to vote

Assembly elections will also be held in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls, the Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora had said. However, elections for Jammu and Kashmir assembly have been deferred, the EC said citing security reasons.