The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed new district presidents for ten districts in Kashmir.
The move is seen as part of its efforts to strengthen its presence in the region.
The appointments were made by Jammu and Kashmir BJP President Sat Sharma after discussions with senior party leaders, including BJP National General Secretary and J&K in-charge Tarun Chugh, General Secretary (Organisation) Ashok Kaul, and Leader of Opposition and Kashmir in-charge Sunil Sharma.
The newly appointed district presidents are advocate Sheikh Salman (Srinagar), Gulam Hassan Rather (Ganderbal), Hakeem Rahullah Ghazi (Budgam), Engineer Syed Showkat Gayoor Andrabi (Pulwama), Waseem Raja Parray (Shopian), Farooq Ahmad Rather (Kulgam), Rakesh Koul (Anantnag), Gulam Hassan Dar (Baramulla), Rafeeq Shah (Kupwara) and Mudasir Farooq Jaan (Bandipora).
In a statement, Sharma expressed confidence in the new leaders. He hoped the new appointees would work hard to strengthen the party at the grassroots level in their districts.
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The BJP has been focusing on expanding its reach in Kashmir, and these appointments are part of its strategy to build a stronger presence in Kashmir.
The move is a step towards improving the party’s organisation in Jammu and Kashmir, especially ahead of important political developments.
The BJP is the second largest party in Jammu and Kashmir after the National Conference. The party won 29 assembly seats in the 90-member house. All the seats were won in the Jammu region. The party failed to win any seats in Kashmir but came a close second in Gurez losing by less than 1,000 votes.
The party’s vote share also witnessed a rise in Kashmir.
The election of new presidents signals the BJP leadership's renewed focus on Kashmir given the municipal and panchayat polls that are overdue. The panchayat and municipal polls have been delayed due to the pending decision on the quantum of reservations for the Other Backward Classes. Several new categories were added to the OBC after which the government formed a Commission to decide the percentage of reservation for OBC.
The Commission has been extended till February 28. After that, the Commission will submit its report to the government.