Campaign ends for 24 Assembly seats in Jammu division
*Star campaigners of all parties hold series of rallies
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 29: High-pitched campaigning for 24 Assembly constituencies in four districts of the Jammu region going to polls in third and final phase of Assembly elections, ended this evening and fate of many bigwigs including 17 ex Ministers, eight former MLAs and four officers-three of whom took Voluntary Retirement from Services (VRS) to join the poll fray-will be decided by the electorates on October 1.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president JP Nadda, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and many other Union Ministers, former Central Ministers and Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled States campaigned for the BJP candidates in the final phase of polling.
For Congress, AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led the party campaign.
NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah, vice president Omar Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and DPAP supremo Ghulam Nabi Azad, all former Chief Ministers too campaigned for their party candidates.
The BJP is contesting all 24 seats, followed by Congress 19. National Conference has been contesting only five seats as it has entered into pre-poll alliance with the Congress. Nagrota is the only seat in the final phase where NC and Congress have pitted candidates against each other as a “friendly contest” while both the parties are supporting Panthers Party, leader Harshdev Singh at Chenani. The PDP, DPAP, BSP and Jammu Kashmir Apni Party are also in the fray on many seats.
Former Ministers whose fate will be decided by the voters in the final phase include Tara Chand (Chhamb), Mula Ram (Marh), Sham Sharma and Ajay Sadhotra (Jammu North), Raman Bhalla and Choudhary Gharu Ram (Jammu South-RS Pura), Pawan Gupta (Udhampur West), Surjit Singh Slathia (Samba), Devender Manyal and Yashpal Kundal (Ramgarh), Chander Prakash Ganga and Manjit Singh (Vijaypur), Rajiv Jasrotia (Jasrota), Choudhary Lal Singh (Basohli), Manohar Lal Sharma (Billawar), Harshdev Singh (Chenani) and Yogesh Sawhney (Jammu East).
Notable candidates include Devender Singh Rana (Nagrota) and BJP national secretary Narinder Singh (Jammu South-RS Pura) among others.
Former legislators in the fray are Balwant Singh Mankotia (Chenani), RS Pathania (Udhampur East), Rajiv Sharma (Chhamb), Shivdev Singh (Jammu North), Gharu Ram Bhagat (Suchetgarh), Balbir Singh (Jasrota) and Jeevan Lal (Bani).
Both Congress and BJP have been facing rebels in the final phase as well. Senior BJP leader Pawan Khajuria has joined the electoral contest from Udhampur East on being denied the party mandate while Narinder Singh Bhau is in the fray against the party nominee from Chhamb. Another BJP leader Shivdev Singh is contesting as an Independent candidate from Jammu North. Senior BJP leader Chander Mohan Sharma, who was in the fray as an Independent candidate from Jammu East, has returned to the party fold and retired from the contest but his name will stay in the ballot paper. BJP leader and DDC Member Mool Raj switched over to the Congress after he was denied the party ticket and is contesting as Congress candidate from Ramnagar Reserve seat.
Prominent Congress leader Satish Sharma, son of two-time MP Madan Lal Sharma has also joined the fray as an Independent candidate from Chhamb after being denied ticket by the party.
BJP and Congress have already suspended or expelled their rebels.
Four former officers are also contesting the elections in the final phase including Mohan Lal and Ashok Bhagat (Akhnoor), Mohan Lal Kaith (Marh) and Dr Bharat Bhushan (Kathua). Two Mohan Lals and Bharat Bhushan took VRS ahead of the Assembly elections to join the battle of ballots. While Mohan Lal was given ticket by the BJP from Akhnoor, Kaith joined the race as an Independent from Marh.
A four-cornered contest is on the cards in high-profile Chhamb Assembly constituency where former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand is the Congress candidate. He is facing stiff challenge from Rajeev Sharma, ex MLA (BJP), Satish Sharma, a Congress rebel and Narinder Singh Bhau, a BJP rebel.
In neighbouring Akhnoor, the contest almost appeared to be direct between BJP’s Mohan Lal Bhagat and Ashok Kumar Bhagat of the Congress though many other candidates are also in the fray.
High-profile Nagrota seat is witnessing triangular fight with Devender Singh Rana in the fray as the BJP candidate. NC has fielded Joginder Singh alias Kaku while Balbir Singh is the Congress representative. Rana won the seat with handsome margin in 2014 as NC candidate. Prior to this, he remained member of the Legislative Council.
RS Pura-Jammu South is yet another prestigious seat where BJP national secretary Narinder Singh Raina is facing Congress heavyweight and former Minister Raman Bhalla. Choudhary Gharu Ram (Ghulam Nabi Azad’s DPAP) is also in the contest among others.
Prominent Congress leader Taranjit Singh Gujaral (Tony), who was claimant of RS Pura-Jammu South seat, has been fielded by the Congress in Bahu seat where he is facing Vikram Singh Randhawa, former MLC, as the BJP candidate among others.
Former Cabinet Minister Mula Ram (Congress) is facing Surinder Bhagat (BJP) and ML Kaith (Independent) among others in Marh constituency.
In Jammu North, two former Ministers-Sham Lal Sharma (BJP) and Ajay Sadhotra (National Conference backed by Congress) are in the fray. BJP rebel Shivdev Singh and DPAP leader Maheshwar Singh are also in the race among others.
Both BJP and Congress have fielded first timers in the Assembly elections-Arvind Gupta and Thakur Manmohan Singh from Jammu West segment. DPAP’s Gourav Chopra is also in the contest besides others.
Yudhvir Sethi (BJP) is too contesting the first Assembly election from BJP’s bastion-the Jammu East. Congress has fielded Yogesh Sawhney, a former Minister, who stunned BJP’s Ashok Khajuria from the same constituency in 2002.
Gharu Ram Bhagat (BJP) and Bushan Lal (Congress) are the major contenders in Suchetgarh though many other prominent candidates have also joined the battle of ballots. In Bishnah, Rajeev Kumar (BJP) and Neeraj Kundan (Congress) are the notable candidates.
All three Assembly seats in Samba district are witnessing multi-cornered contests.
Two former Ministers-Chander Prakash Ganga (BJP) and Manjit Singh (JKAP) besides Rajesh Pargotra (NC backed by the Congress) are in the fray among others at Vijaypur while Surjit Singh Slathia (BJP), also a former Minister, Krishan Dev Singh (Congress), Vinod Mishra (DPAP) and Independent Ravinder Singh Lavlu are the noted contenders at Samba. In Ramgarh (SC Reserve), two former Ministers–Devender Manyal (BJP) and Yashpal Kundal (Congress) are battling it out while Sahil Bharti (JKAP) and Surinder Atri among others are also in the fray.
In Kathua district, contests appear to be direct in Basohli, Jasrota, Hiranagar and Billawar between BJP and Congress. BJP’s Darshan Singh is facing Choudhary Lal Singh of Congress, a former Minister and two-time Lok Sabha member, in Basohli while in Billawar Satish Sharma of the BJP is being challenged by former Minister and Congress leader Manohar Lal Sharma. The political fight is between Rajiv Jasrotia, former Minister of BJP and Balbir Singh, ex legislator of Congress at Jasrota. Hiranagar segment is also witnessing direct contest between Vijay Sharma (BJP) and Rakesh Choudhary (Congress). Many other notable candidates are also in the fray in all these seats.
Kathua reserve is witnessing triangular fight among Dr Bharat Bushan (BJP), Sandeep Majotra (BSP) and Subash Chander (NC backed by the Congress). Bani Assembly constituency is facing multi-cornered fight among Dr Rajeshwar Singh (Independent), Jeevan Lal (BJP), Gouri Shankar (DPAP) and Kajal Singh (Congress).
In Udhampur district, Udhampur West is heading for straight contest between Pawan Gupta (BJP), a former Minister and Sumit Magotra (Congress) while Udhampur East is witnessing multi-cornered fight among RS Pathania (BJP), Pawan Khajuria, a BJP rebel contesting as an Independent candidate, Sunil Verma (NC backed by Congress) and Balwan Singh (Panthers Party).
Two cousins are facing each other in direct contest at Chenani. Former Minister Harshdev Singh (Panthers Party) is facing Balwant Singh Mankotia (BJP). Ramnagar, however, is witnessing triangular fight among Sunil Bhardwaj (BJP), Ishri Devi (Panthers Party) and Mool Raj (Congress) among others.
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