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Ravinder Raina

Ravinder Raina

About Ravinder Raina

Ravinder Raina

Ravinder Raina, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president for Jammu and Kashmir, is a key candidate to watch in the upcoming 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. Raina is seeking re-election from the Nowshera constituency in the Rajouri district, a seat he first won in 2014 by defeating his nearest rival Surinder Choudhary, then a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member, by over 9,500 votes. 
 
Raina's candidacy is significant for several reasons. As the state BJP chief, he is leading the party's campaign in the elections and is considered a star campaigner. The BJP has fielded him from Nowshera, a seat that was traditionally a Congress bastion, winning it for eight consecutive terms from 1962 to 2002. Raina's victory in 2014 marked the first time the BJP won the seat. However, Raina faces a tough challenge this time from his former party colleague Surinder Choudhary, who is now contesting on a National Conference (NC) ticket with Congress support. Choudhary, a former MLC, had quit the PDP in March 2022 and joined the BJP, only to leave the party in July 2023 and join the NC. The two leaders have a history, with Raina serving Choudhary a Rs 5 crore legal defamation notice for levelling "baseless allegations" against him. 
 
The Nowshera seat, with a total of 86,506 voters and 116 polling stations, is among the 11 assembly segments in the Jammu region going to polls in the second phase on September 25. In addition to the two main candidates, there are three more contenders: Haq Nawaz from the PDP, Manohar Singh representing the BSP, and Shiv Dev Sharma, who is running as an Independent.

Latest Updates on Ravinder Raina

Raina assured that all religious communities in India are safe, urging legal action against Mufti for her remarks

Updated On: 02 Dec 2024 | 7:02 AM IST

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah offered his condolences on the demise of Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Devender Singh Rana and shared some of the fun moments spent with the BJP leader

Updated On: 01 Nov 2024 | 3:55 PM IST

Early trends in Jammu and Kashmir election results show BJP's Ravinder Raina trails behind NC's Surinder Kumar Choudhary

Updated On: 08 Oct 2024 | 1:20 PM IST

Former Deputy CM and BJP leader Kavinder Gupta asserted that the BJP would emerge as the largest party in the Union Territory and would win the elections

Updated On: 08 Oct 2024 | 8:09 AM IST

J&K Phase-2 elections live updates: Catch all the latest J&K election updates here

Updated On: 25 Sep 2024 | 11:58 PM IST

Over 2.5 million voters will decide the fate of 239 candidates in the fray for 26 Jammu and Kashmir assembly seats in the second phase of the election to be held in the Union territory on Wednesday. These assembly constituencies are spread over six districts three in the Valley and as many in the Jammu division. "To facilitate smooth and hassle-free electoral participation, the Election Commission of India has established 3,502 polling stations in these segments. There are 1,056 urban polling stations and 2,446 rural polling stations," an official said. All polling stations will have webcasting facilities as part of the Election Commission's efforts to ensure transparency, according to officials. "To enhance voter participation, 157 special polling stations have been established for the second phase 26 'pink polling stations' managed by women, 26 polling stations manned by specially abled persons, 26 polling stations manned by youths, 31 border polling stations, 26 green polling

Updated On: 24 Sep 2024 | 1:41 PM IST