Upcoming assembly polls first in 'secular J-K', says Sudhanshu Trivedi

The upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are historic as they are the first since the region "became secular", BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said on Thursday.

He emphasised that these elections represented a choice between nationalist and anti-national forces.

"In these assembly elections, people must choose between those promising peace and development and those promising death and destruction," Trivedi told reporters.

After the 42nd amendment to the Indian Constitution, Jammu and Kashmir adopted a six-year term for its assembly but did not explicitly include the word 'secular' in its constitution, he alleged.

"At that time, Jammu and Kashmir had its own constitution. After the abrogation of Article 370, there is now a unified Constitution," he said.

He also claimed these were the first elections in Jammu and Kashmir after Other Backward Classes (OBCs) received reservation.

Trivedi said, "These elections are significant as they are the first after Jammu