PM Modi to address public rally in Kashmir in March: BJP sources

Srinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Jammu and Kashmir next month and address a public rally in Anantnag district, BJP sources said here on Tuesday.

This would be the prime minister's first visit to the Kashmir Valley after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

The public rally will be held as part of the BJP's election campaign for the forthcoming general polls, the sources said. "The prime minister's public rally is scheduled in Anantnag district next month," the BJP sources said.

"While the exact date is yet to be finalised, the rally will take place any day between March 14 to 17," the sources said, adding the party was waiting for the final dates from the Prime Minister's Office.

The BJP is focussing on the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat which comprises of the south Kashmir areas of Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag, and Rajouri-Poonch areas in Jammu.

Before delimitation of the constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, Anantnag seat comprised only of the four south Kashmir districts— Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama and Anantnag.

The seat was won by National Conference's Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The visit would be the prime minister's first visit to the Kashmir Valley after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories in August 2019 by the Centre.

However, this would be Modi's second visit to J&K in two months. The PM addressed a public rally in Jammu on February 20 during which he also unveiled multiple development projects totalling over RS 32,000 crore.