Confident of pro-development votes in J-K, BJP to form govt: Pradeep Bhandari

New Delhi: With exit polls projecting a tight race in Jammu and Kashmir (J-K), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari expressed confidence that the party would receive strong support for its pro-development agenda.
Speaking to ANI, Bhandari said, "We are confident that, whether in Jammu or the Valley, the party will secure pro-development votes. We have observed similar trends in Chhattisgarh, where the BJP formed the government, and we are expecting the same outcome in Haryana."
He further noted that polling feedback pointed towards a BJP victory in J-K.
"A BJP government will be formed in Jammu and Kashmir. The feedback received from the polling has strongly indicated this. The elections held after the abrogation of Article 370 were a historic moment and a victory for democracy," Bhandari added.
Commenting on the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Bhandari suggested that they should not be considered a significant contender due to their poor vote share in previous elections.
"One shouldn't take the PDP seriously because they received only eight percent of the votes last time. Mehbooba Mufti lost her own seat, and BJP received three times the number of votes. The PDP or Congress's internal surveys predicting their victory are flawed. When the results come out on October 8, we all know who will win," Bhandari said.
However, the Axis My India exit poll on Saturday, October 5, predicted a hung assembly in Jammu and Kashmir, with the National Conference-Congress alliance slightly ahead and the BJP trailing close behind.
According to Axis My India, the NC-Congress alliance can win 35-45 seats whereas the BJP can win 24-34 seats.
Notably, the majority mark to form the government in the Union Territory is 46 and the prediction has shown no one above the mark.
According to the predictions, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) can win 4-6 seats while Awam Ittehad Party-led by Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid can win 3-8.The Axis My India has given Sajjad Lone's People's Conference 1-3 while others can get 4-10 seats.
As per its prediction, the NC-Congress vote share can go up to 38 per cent while the BJP on 21.
Earlier today, former Deputy Chief Minister of J-K & BJP leader Kavinder Gupta hinted that the BJP is holding talks with "like-minded" parties.
"It is only in the Exit polls that Congress-NC has got these seats, but BJP will emerge as the biggest party once the correct results are out. We are confident of getting more than 35 seats in Jammu province and the remaining from Kashmir. BJP will be in a better condition in Kashmir...Talks are going on with like-minded parties," Gupta said.
Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary and J-K in charge, Tarun Chugh said on Saturday that these are only "Exit polls" and the results will be better than this.Chugh exuded confidence that in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP will form the government with a full majority.
"These are exit polls. The results will be better than this. BJP will form a government with a full majority in both Haryana and J&K. People's blessings are with BJP. Double engine government will be formed," he said.
National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah dismissed the exit poll predictions.In a post on X, Abdullah said, "I'm amazed channels are bothering with exit polls, especially after the fiasco of the recent general elections. I'm ignoring all the noise on channels, social media, WhatsApp Etc because the only numbers that matter will be revealed on the 8th of Oct. The rest is just time pass."
According to TV-Today C-voter projections, the NC-Congress alliance is likely to win 40-48 seats while the BJP can win 27-32. Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti-led People's Democratic Party is likely to win 6-12 seats whereas others can win 6-11.As per Dainik Bhaskar's projection, the NC-Congress alliance can win seats ranging from 35-40. The BJP can win 20-25 seats, PDP 4-7 while the others can win 12-18 seats.
The People Pulse survey has predicted 46-50 seats for the NC-Congress alliance and 23-27 for the BJP. As per them, the PDP can win 7-11 whereas the others can win 4-6 seats..The Gulistan News projection on Republic TV projected 28-30 seats for the National Conference, 3-6 seats for the Congress, 5-7 seats for the PDP and 8-16 seats for other parties and independents.
The Election Commission of India said that an overall 63.88 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the Assembly elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The counting of votes will take place on October 8. In 2023, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to hold Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024.