The BJP on Monday (26 August) released a list of 44 candidates for the three-phase elections to 90 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, but later withdrew it.

Interestingly, within a few hours, the BJP released a new list, but it contained the names of only 15 candidates for the first phase of the election. No changes were made to the candidates selected for the first phase.

Three important names were missing from the list that the party withdrew: Ravinder Raina, Jammu and Kashmir BJP president, and former deputy chief ministers Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta. The list also included the name of Devendra Rana, brother of Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who hailed from Nagrota. Rana had resigned from the leadership of the National Conference.

The now withdrawn list also included two Kashmiri Pandits and 14 Muslim candidates, besides several former leaders of Congress, National Conference, PDP and Panthers Party who switched sides and joined the BJP. The candidates announced in the earlier list included 15 for the first phase of voting, 10 for the second phase and 19 for the third phase.

According to media reports, the earlier list sparked widespread resentment due to some key omissions. This resistance seems to have forced the party to withdraw the three-phase list and republish only the names of the candidates for the first phase.

The BJP’s central election committee met on Sunday evening (25 August) to decide on the party’s candidates for the election.

Three elections will be held in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on September 18, 25 and October 1.

In the last parliamentary elections in 2014, when Jammu and Kashmir was still a full-fledged state, the BJP won 25 seats.