BJP softens tone on Article 370

New Delhi, Apr 28: Toning down its rhetoric on Article 370, BJP on Saturday said the decision on the subject would be taken in Parliament and "development remains the party's main agenda to contest polls in J&K".

Speaking at a party meeting in volatile Anantnag in south Kashmir, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav said they would follow the path of Atal Behari Vajpayee on Kashmir and left the final decision on contentious issue of Article 370 to the collective wisdom of parliament.

"The BJPs stand on this issue is clear but any final decision will be taken by the parliament. We should wait for whatever collective decision parliament will take on it,'' said Ram Madhav.

The BJP leader also expressed confidence of winning "at least three Lok Sabha seats" of the six in J&K. "The BJP has become mainstream in J&K. It will work for the State's development. The only hurdle in the party's development agenda are the regional parties," he added.

In its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP has reiterated its resolve to abrogate Article 370, which gives autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir and annul Article 35A of the Constitution, which the party finds discriminatory against non-permanent residents and women of the Kashmir Valley.

There are six Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir-Baramulla, Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur, Anantnag and Ladakh.

The second phase of voting in Kashmir's Anantnag seat, where election is being held in three phases, will be held tomorrow.