SRINAGAR : The Campaign came to end today in 18 assembly constituencies, spread over five districts in Jammu and Kashmir, where polling will be held on December 2 in the second phase of five phased elections in the state.
The ruling National Conference (NC) has to defend six seats, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) four, Congress three, National Panthers Party (NPP) two and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), Communist Party of India (M) and an independent one each.
Encouraged by more than 70 per cent polling in the first phase in 15 assembly constituencies leaders of different political parties addressed election rallies and road shows in these constituencies to woo the voters in favour of their party candidates.
The campaign remained by and large peaceful in all the constituencies, where 1535087 voters, including 722269 women are going to take part in the voting on December 2. Authorities have set up 2181 polling booths, majority of them hyper sensitive and sensitive for the voters to exercise their democratic right. The highest number of 173 polling stations have been set up in Reasi constituency while lowest 60 in border constituency in Karnah. Security and other measures for free, fair and peaceful polling have also been finalised.
The NC has to defend Gulabgarh and Poonch Haveli in Jammu region, Karnah, Kupwara, Handwara and Noorabad in the Kashmir valley while PDP Mendhar in Jammu, Lolab, Home Shalibugh and Devsar in Kashmir valley. Gool Arnas, Chnani and Sarankote, all in Jammu region, were won by Congress in 2008 while NPP candidates got elected from Ram Nagar, Udhampur constituencies. The BJP had won only seat of Reasi in Jammu region in 2008 polls while CPI(M) Kulgam and independent Er Sheikh Abdul Rashid from Langate in Kashmir. All the main political parties, including NC, PDP, BJP, Congress and Awami Mutahida Mahaz (AMM) have released their election manifesto to woo the voters. The NC and PDP during their campaigning accuse each other of having secret links with the BJP while the saffron party seek votes to liberate Jammu and Kashmir from the Abdullah’s and Muftis. They also held responsible each other for the hanging of Afzal Guru, who was hanged in Delhi’s Tihar jail in 2013 for parliament attack.
Article 370, granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir, dominated the campaigning by local parties while the BJP, eyeing on Mission 44 plus, skip it after some reservation expressed by candidates contesting on the party ticket in Kashmir valley.
The NC, PDP, and Congress are contesting from all the 18 constituencies while BJP has fielded candidates from all but Handwara seat from where Peoples Conference (PC) chairman Sajjad Gani Lone is contesting. Lone, who was part of separatists until recently, had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at New Delhi, generating a debate in Kashmir. Addressing election rallies, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, without naming Lone, said the BJP has now purchased people who were demanding Azadi during the past 25 hours.
He said that it was only NC that could fight to safeguard the political interests and sentiments of Jammu and Kashmir at a juncture where brazen calls were being made to abrogate Article 370 and make amendments in the State Subject Law that protects J&K’s demographic character. “It was NC that waged a selfless war against tyranny and oppression and rid this State of the humiliation of monarchy and feudalism.
We started our struggle against the indignity of autocracy and we went on to ensure that our peasants are freed from the clutches of feudal slavery,” he said. He accused the PDP of fielding corrupt bureaucrats and having secret pact with BJP to remove Article 370 and amend the State Subject law.
Mr Abdullah asked people to defeat those forces who wanted to divide people on communal and regional basis in the state.
He said BJP leaders were misleading the people by giving one statement at Jammu and Ladakh and another in Kashmir for political gains.
He promised restoration of greater autonomy and revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the state besides overall development of all the three regions of the state, employment for unemployed and proper rehabilitation of flood victims.
Interestingly the BJP has not said anything about Article 370, a main election issue during all previous elections in the state and in the country.
BJP leaders, who addressed election rallies, road shows and media in Jammu and Srinagar avoided this question time and again saying central leadership has already made its stand on this issue clear.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said it was a national issue and needs debate while Jammu based leaders were in favour of continuation of traditional stand of the party on this issue.
However, candidates contesting on BJP tickets in the Kashmir valley opposed any announcement on the Article by the party high command.
BJP election meetings were addressed by senior state and central leaders, including Shahnawaz Hussain. The BJP leaders urging voters to vote for the party candidates promised overall development, corruption free administration and renaming of the state as ” Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh”.
However, the BJP used local urdu and English daily newspapers besides social networking and SMS to reach out to voters.
However, the Prime Minister who address election meetings in Jammu has not so far campaigned in the Kashmir valley. Mr Modi has asked people to vote for BJP to remove the family rule of the Abdullah’s and Mufti’s who have looted the funds, meant for development and poor people of the state.
PDP leaders alleged that Mr Abdullah has sought refuge in BJP to keep PDP out of power.
The PDP campaigning was spearheaded by patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, his daughter PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and Muzaffar Hussain Beig, MP, for Deputy Chief Minister. The party promised to fight for Self Rule and resumption of talks with Pakistan to settle all issue, including Kashmir. The PDP leaders claimed it was the only party which can stop BJP in the state.
Alleging that the Prime Minister was distorting facts as he was ill-informed about the ground realities in Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Sayeed said the party did not need any certificate on the integrity of the state. No sermons on morality please, the former Chief Minister Mr Sayeed said to Mr Modi while addressing election rallies in north and south Kashmir, where polling will be held in the second phase on December 2.
Advising Mr Modi to hold back his vilification campaign Mr Sayeed said PDP leadership does not need any certificate on integrity and Jammu and Kashmir can do without sermons. He said Mr Modi is staking the prestige of the high office he occupies by indulging in defamatory rhetoric for electoral gains in J&K. “Unfortunately, he (Modi) is doing so without regard to facts or the perception among the people of the State,” he said and added, “It is very alarming that the prime minister of a large country like ours should be so much ill-informed about the ground realities of a sensitive state like J&K and just for adding few seats in the assembly he should sacrifice facts and promote a culture of character assassination.” Mr Sayeed said J&K has a different experience of prime ministerial visits which have generally focused on larger picture of the region and how peace, stability and development could be ushered in.
“Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee redefined the future course by his visit to Kashmir and his cooperation with the PDP-led government but it is unfortunate that Modi inspite of swearing by the Vajpayee policy has so far observed it only in breach,” he said and added that the prime minister has to be unifying force and not the one who is seen as a source of division and confrontation.
He said the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and the problems faced by its residents exist in many layers and it is only through a multidimensional inclusive approach that these can be resolved.
(AGENCIES)
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