The delimitation process in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), intended to restructure electoral boundaries and enhance political representation, appears to have fallen short of delivering the desired outcomes for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Despite adding new assembly seats in the Hindu-majority areas of Jammu, the party struggled to make significant gains, echoing its 2014 performance.

This result raises questions about the effectiveness of the delimitation exercise and the broader electoral strategy employed by the BJP in J&K. The BJP’s traditional strongholds in the Hindu belt of Jammu ~ Samba, Udhampur, Jammu, and Kathua ~ benefited from the increased number of assembly segments, but the party’s gains were modest. While it retained dominance in some areas, such as Udhampur and parts of Jammu district, it lost key constituencies like Bani and Chhamb, indicating that delimitation alone could not guarantee a sweeping victory. The BJP’s ability to consolidate its base........

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