Jammu and Kashmir: BJP kicks off Lok Sabha poll campaign in Srinagar

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Within 24 hours of the Election commission announcing the Lok Sabha election dates, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) held a meeting of cluster and booth heads of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir in a way to kickstart its poll campaign. Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency is not one of the seats that is an easy win for the BJP, thus in a hope to turn the things around the party is launching an effective poll stratergy.

As per PTI report, at a workers' rally held at Jawahar Nagar Municipal Park on Sunday, senior BJP leader from Jammu and Kashmir Surinder Amberdar said the party has formed clusters -- comprising of two to three booths -- for effective election campaign. "The BJP is a cadre based organisation. The preparations here are for the eight assembly segments of Srinagar district. We have made structure of clusters which includes two to three booths. This is an organisational meeting of cluster heads and booth heads," Amberdar told PTI.

The former MLC said as the Election Commission announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls, the party will take its symbol, ideology and performance card to the electorate. "The BJP contests the elections based on its ideology and performance. The candidate is important but the organisation is superior. We have to take our symbol, the Lotus, to the people so that they vote for us," he added.

The leader also said that PM Narendra Modi is more than a face for campaign, but an icon, a global leader and a game changer, PTI reported.

As per the report, in response to a question, Amberdar was candid that Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency was not among the 400 seats that the BJP is sure of winning. "No, Srinagar is not among the 400 seats. We are trying to make it 401 from here," he said.

BJP spokesperson Arun Gupta said the party has prepared a white paper on its 10-year performance. Gupta said. While the government has done its job, the party cannot be successful if information about the good work does not reach all the voters.

Srinagar Lok Sabha seat has been traditionally a bastion of the National Conference (NC) with the regional party losing only once from here in 2014. PDP candidate Tariq Hamid Karra, who has since joined the Congress, defeated NC president Farooq Abdullah for his only electoral loss in 2014.

(With PTI inputs)