With eyes on LS, BJP says it'll sit in J-K Opposition

New Delhi: After bagging double-figure seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for the first time, BJP on Sunday said it is ready to play the role of a "nationalist Opposition" and work towards capitalising on its achievements for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

"We, in the BJP, have reason to be happy about the outcome in Jammu and Kashmir. We have done exceedingly well in Jammu and got the highest number of seats than in the past. We will play the role of a nationalist Opposition in Assembly," BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley said.

BJP leaders said the polarisation of votes between Kashmir valley and Jammu region has helped it increase its tally from one in the last Assembly elections to 12 this time.

They said they will capitalise on the party's achievement for the Lok Sabha elections slated for next year.

The saffron party ruled out even exploring possibilities of supporting any of the political parties trying to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir.

The party maintained a safe distance from Congress, PDP and National Conference terming the three as being "soft on terror and of sympathising with the separatists".

Earlier, party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had ruled out an alliance with these parties saying, "All three of them are directly or indirectly supporting separatists and terrorists."

BJP said it will keep alive the issue of "discrimination" by the Kashmir Valley against people of other regions in Jammu and Kashmir. "We will fight against discrimination of any region of the state, especially Leh, Ladakh and Jammu," Arun Jaitley said.

During the Amarnath shrine land allotment agitation in September this year, BJP had said it will take up as poll plank the "step-brotherly treatment" given to the Jammu region by Kashmir allegedly due to its more share of the development funds by virtue of having more assembly seats. Kashmir Valley has 46 Assembly seats while Jammu has 37.

The ploy seems to have worked with BJP increasing its seat tally from one in the last assembly to 12 in these polls. All 12 seats have come from the Jammu region.

Economic development and good governance, two of BJP's ever favourite poll planks, were on its radar here too.

BJP sees the impressive above 60 per cent turnout of voters in the state as a good sign and something which has worked in its favour.

"We are happy that the people of Jammu and Kashmir came out in large numbers to vote and the separatist call of boycott was rejected by them," Jaitley said.

On PDP's win of only 20 seats, the BJP said the party's standing has come down because of the "public anger at PDP for supporting the separatists during the Amarnath agitation".