The BJP campaign, shikara, capsized after reaching shore, a party leader said.
Srinagar:
At least four BJP leaders and several cameramen fell into the icy waters of Srinagar’s Dal Lake today after a shikara which was part of the party’s campaign overturned today. They were rescued shortly after.
The BJP was conducting a shikara campaign on the famous Lake Jammu and Kashmir, a major tourist attraction, for ongoing local body elections.
BJP workers and journalists were rescued by locals, staff from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the police.
BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain told NDTV that the shikara capsized after reaching shore.
He also added that everyone who was in the shikara is safe.
“There were a lot of journalists on the boat. Fortunately they are all safe. It was a very good rally in Dal Lake. The boat capsized when it reached shore,” Hussain said.
A shikara is a type of wooden boat that is used for transportation on most bodies of water in Srinagar and is a cultural symbol in Jammu and Kashmir.
This came on a day when the sixth phase of the District Development Council elections is in Jammu and Kashmir, the first democratic exercise since it was reorganized as a Union Territory last year.
More than 7.48 lakh voters will decide the fate of 245 candidates, including 100 women, in this phase of the eight-phase elections.
The shikara rally was led by union minister Anurag Thakur, who is the BJP manager for the DDC elections in Jammu and Kashmir.