The BJP on Monday released its first list of 44 candidates for the elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, fielding Devender Singh Rana from Nagrota.

The candidates include 15 for the first phase of polls, 10 for the second phase and 19 for the third phase.

The party has chosen to field its candidates for a few Kashmir constituencies,, including Pampore, Shopian, Anantnag West and Anantnag, besides its strongholds in the Jammu region.

Arvind Gupta and Yudhvir Sethi have been fielded from Jammu West and Jammu East respectively.

The BJP's Central Election Committee had met on Sunday evening to finalise the party's candidates for the polls.

The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is going to polls in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1.

The 90-member assembly of Haryana will go to polls on October 1. The counting of votes is scheduled for October 4.

In the last assembly elections held in 2014, when Jammu and Kashmir was a full-fledged state, the BJP had won 25 seats.

The party is making all out efforts to fend off the challenge from a resurgent Congress, which has tied up with the National Conference, especially in the Jammu region, a BJP bastion since 2014.

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