New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS): Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with the top leaders of Jammu and Kashmir BJP to discuss the upcoming elections in the Union Territory and ways to strengthen the party organisation there, party sources said.

In a meeting held at Shah's residence on Monday, BJP National President J.P. Nadda, BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B.L. Santosh, Union Minister Jitendra Singh, J&K BJP In-charge Tarun Chugh, J&K BJP Co-Incharge Ashish Sood, State BJP Presidents, Ravinder Raina, former J&K Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta as well as other top J&K BJP core group leaders were present.

According to party sources, in the meeting with J&K BJP leaders, the Union Home Minister discussed the security and the political situation in the state.

Sources said that the party's preparations for the upcoming elections in various local bodies are scheduled to be held in J&K by this year-end and ways to strengthen the party organisation were discussed in the meeting.

The saffron party is preparing in full force for the elections to be held at all levels in the state and is making every effort to strengthen its organisational base in the entire state, especially in the Kashmir Valley.

The BJP is trying to create a better political environment in its favour for the upcoming State Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha polls to be held in J&K by performing well in the local body elections.

The saffron party held two rounds of high-level meetings regarding the J&K local body polls in New Delhi on Monday.

According to sources, Shah also held a meeting with J&K Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and took stock of the security situation in the state. Shah discussed with the Lt. Governor on maintaining peace, and law and order in the state in view of the upcoming elections.

Amid these meetings, speculation is rife that after the peaceful completion of the local body elections to be held in the state by the end of this year, the state Assembly elections will likely be held in J&K early next year.