What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
SRINAGAR: On Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) named Ram Madhav and G Kishan Reddy as the election overseers for the forthcoming polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
Madhav, who served as the national general secretary of the BJP from 2014 to 2020, was tasked with managing the political matters of Jammu and Kashmir. He also played crucial roles in Assam and other northeastern regions.
G Kishan Reddy, the Secunderabad MP and the current minister of coal and mines, will assist Ram Madhav in the strategy and organization of the elections, the first to be held in the Union Territory since 2014 and the first after the 2019 repeal of Article 370, which revoked the former state’s special status.
The announcement for the initial phase of the three-stage elections was made earlier on Tuesday. Voting for the first phase is scheduled for September 18, the second phase on September 25, and the third and final phase on October 1.
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When Narendra Modi assumed the role of Prime Minister in 2014, Madhav was “assigned” to the BJP and took on the position of party general secretary.
The party faced significant setbacks in Delhi and Bihar, but made gains in Jammu, Kashmir, and the Northeast, creating the impression that success followed where Ram Madhav was involved.
In 2015, Ram Madhav played a pivotal role in allying with his party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Madhav collaborated closely with Sayeed and later with his daughter, Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed, guiding the alliance through a challenging period from 2015 onward.
Following the collapse of the PDP-BJP alliance, Ram Madhav stated, “Given the evolving circumstances in the valley, some deliberation had been underway for the past few months. This included transferring state administration to the governor for a period. Security forces were also advocating for this move. Politically, we sensed that the divergence between the two parties’ approaches to J&K issues was growing. We prioritize broader national interests and concerns above all else. As a regional party, regional political factors played a significant role in PDP’s decision-making. We felt it was time for us to part ways.”
After he was relieved of his duties as general secretary in September 2020, Madhav stepped back from the public eye but remained active, concentrating on establishing connections with conservative parties globally through conferences.
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The BJP, which refrained from nominating candidates in the Kashmir Valley during the Lok Sabha elections, will be doing so in the Assembly elections. However, more importantly, Madhav’s comeback signals his connections across the political spectrum in Jammu and Kashmir. As a key figure behind the BJP-PDP coalition, which later ended on a sour note, his expertise and networks will be crucial in navigating any potential post-election outcomes that the Assembly results may bring.
While Talking to The New Indian, Seh Prabhari BJP J&K Ashish Sood said “With Ram Madhav Ji’s appointment as Election Incharge of J&K, BJP workers will certainly benefit from his experience and it will have a positive impact on the outcome of the result.”
Dr Darakshan Andrabi, Chairperson, J&K Waqf Board & Senior BJP leader told The New Indian, “Ram Madhav is an intellectual par excellence. He knows Jammu & Kashmir very well. He has an amazing understanding of the cultural and sociological life of J&K in addition to the politics of the territory. Ram Madhav was in charge of the BJP for J&K earlier during the period of turmoil and he, by his all-inclusive approach and positivity, has succeeded in creating a very potent base for the party in all parts of J&K.”
She further added, “Ram Madhav has been instrumental in strengthening the base of the BJP in Kashmir, where it was earlier presumed that the BJP could not make a mark here. Now when he has been assigned the party’s election assignment for J&K, we are warmly welcoming him with the hope that his guidance and deputation in J&K will infuse more strength into the party and we will come out victorious in the Assembly elections.”
