NC-Cong use foreign powers to influence social media during polls: J&K BJP

Jammu, Aug 27 (IANS) The Jammu & Kashmir Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday alleged that the National Conference (NC) and the Congress use foreign powers to influence social media and alter the election results.

“Foreign powers are being brought in J&K to change or affect the election results. They (NC and Congress) did the same during the parliamentary elections where social media handlers were used outside the country. What is the impact of this on social media? Do the NC and Congress want foreign forces and foreign money to be used in the elections?” J&K BJP chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi told IANS.

He asked if the opinion of the people did not matter to the NC and Congress alliance. “This is a very serious situation. The NC and Congress are doing this together,” Sethi alleged.

On the NC-Congress alliance, he said that it will promote separatism.

“The manifesto of the NC has been accepted by the Congress, and an attempt has been made to create a dangerous situation by both the parties,” Sethi said.

On Monday, the BJP released a list of 15 candidates. The party has fielded seven candidates from Kashmir for the first phase and eight from the Jammu division for the 24 Assembly seats going to the polls in the first phase.

The party has also unveiled the names of its 40 star campaigners for the elections scheduled for next month.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the party’s campaign while the star campaigners will work round the clock to galvanise support for the party.

These campaigners include BJP president J.P. Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other union ministers including Nitin Gadkari, Manohar Lal Khattar, G Kishan Reddy, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Jitendra Singh.

Voting in the first phase of the 3-phase Assembly election will be held on September 18, for the second phase on September 25 and for the last phase on October 1.

Counting of votes will take place on October 4 and the entire poll process will end on October 6.