NEW DELHI: India's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party said on Monday it would remove decades-old special rights for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, making an election promise that could provoke a backlash in the country's volatile only Muslim majority state.
"We believe that Article 35A is an obstacle in the development of the state," the BJP manifesto said, referring to the 1954 amendment to the constitution. Voting in the general election begins on Thursday but, with around 900 million people eligible to vote, the polls will be held around the country over coming weeks, and the votes will be counted on May 23.Modi has made his strong stance on national security a key part of the BJP's election campaign, following a recent flare up in tensions with arch foe Pakistan, which also lays claims to Kashmir.
The main opposition Congress Party led by Rahul Gandhi is seeking alliances with regional parties to thwart Modi, accusing the BJP of undermining India's secular foundations.The manifesto also seeks to counter voter discontent over a lack of jobs and low farm incomes, which have resulted in protests across the country.
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