Will 'Modi magic' work for BJP in Jammu and Kashmir? PM to hit campaign trail today

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on whom BJP is banking heavily, will hit the campaign trail in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday when he addresses a public rally in Kishtwar, four days ahead of the first phase of balloting for the Assembly elections in the state.

He will address at least seven rallies in the state, holding at least a rally or two ahead of each of the five phases of the polls in the state. According to BJP sources, Modi will address another rally next week in Udhampur in Jammu region and later a rally in Kashmir valley too.

Sources said the BJP is banking heavily on aggressive campaigning by Modi in its bid to achieve its ambitious "Mission 44+" target required in an Assembly of 87 seats. The party is targeting the educated class in the state to send home the message that development is key to the state's progress and the government of the same party at the Centre and the state would help achieve this easily.

Kistwar (J&K): Preparations for PM Narendra Modi's election campaign rally today, security on high alert pic.twitter.com/IDV95cPykE

— ANI (@ANI_news) November 22, 2014

To woo the intellectual-class in the state, the sources said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and other noted lawyers would also campaign and hold public meetings. Buoyed with the party's recent successes in Haryana and Maharashtra, the BJP is optimistic of performing well in the Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand, both of which will have five-phased polling from November 25.

Preparations for PM Narendra Modi's election campaign rally today, security on high alert. (Photo: ANI Twitter)

The BJP has also chalked out a strategy for Jammu and Kashmir and is working in close coordination with smaller parties as well as moderate separatists in the valley to achieve its target of forming a government of its own and has had talks with some of them. The Assembly polls in the state will start from November 25 and end on December 20. The results will be out on December 23.