Jammu: As many as 213 candidates, including Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand and four other ministers, will be battling it out for 20 Legislative Assembly seats in the fifth and the final leg of elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.
This phase is very important for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to accomplish its Mission 44-plus, a feat that will allow the saffron party to form a government for first time in the Muslim majority state, provided it opens an account in Kashmir. However, political analysts believe that the chances of BJP forming the government on its own are very bleak as it has failed to woo the voters and make inroad in the valley.
It is a do or die situation for the BJP as the party not only has to retain 10 seats it won in 2008 elections, but it also has to completely sweep this phase to be in a position to be a part of a coalition government. The party had won 11 seats in the last Assembly elections.
All the top guns of BJP including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Jitendra Singh, Smiti Irani, Uma Bharati and star campaigners Hema Malini, Vinod Khanna Navjot Singh Sidhu campaigned for their party candidates to woo the voters of Jammu region. Modi, who addressed four rallies in Jammu region - Rajouri, Kathua, Jammu and Billawar constituencies - urged people to give BJP a majority to ensure development of the state.
However, Modi came under attack by people and some local political parties, including Panthers Party, in Jammu region after the Prime Minister didn't start his address in Kashmir valley by saying 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. "If he starts all this addresses in rest of the country and Jammu by saying 'Bharat mata Ki Jai', then who prevented him from saying it in Kashmir. Was it to woo the voters in Kashmir," Surender Kumar, a resident of Gandhi Nagar, said.
On the other hand, Congress is leaving no stone unturned to retain all the five seats it won in 2008 Assembly elections in order to maintain its political relevance in the state. The Congress ministers who are in the fray include Deputy Chief Minister and state Education Minister Tara Chand, Sham Lal Sharma, Raman Bhalla and Manohar Lal Sharma.
Meanwhile, NC will seek re-election from two seats, PDP from one while two Independent MLAs are seeking mandate from their respective constituencies.
As many as 18,28,904 eligible voters will exercise their franchise at 2,366 polling stations set up across the three districts of Jammu region - Jammu, Rajouri and Kathua.
Chhamb constituency, which in the last election witnessed a voter turnout of 78.35 per cent, is a stronghold of Congress. Tara Chand, who in 2008 won by a margin of 2395 votes, is seeking re-election for the fourth time from the constituency. Even though there are 10 candidates in the fray, the constituency is expected to witness a triangular contest between Congress, BJP and PDP.
Akhnoor is another constituency in Jammu district which has a strong presence of Congress followers. Sham Lal Sharma, who in 2008 Assembly elections won by a margin of 13884, is seeking re-election for the third time. However, it will be an uphill task for Sham Lal Sharma to retain his seat following anti-incumbency feeling against the state government. There are eight candidates in the fray, but the main contest will be between Congress and BJP.
From Gandhi Nagar constituency, Congress candidate Raman Bhalla is seeking re-election for the third time. Bhalla in the last election won by beating his nearest rival and BJP candidate Nirmal Singh by a margin of 2263 votes. Even though there are 11 candidates in the fray from the constituency, the main contest is likely to be between Bhalla and BJP candidate Kavinder Gupta.
As many as nine candidates are in the fray in Marh constituency. BJP candidate Sukhnandan Kumar, who in 2008 elections won by a margin of 6581 votes, is seeking re-election for the second time from the constituency. The main contest is likely to be between Kumar and Congress candidate Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, who has represented this constituency two times - 1996 and 2002.
As many as 15 candidates are in the fray for Bishnah Assembly segment. The constituency is currently represented by an Independent candidate Ashwani Kumar Sharma, who is seeking re-election for the third time. Interestingly Sharma in the last election won by beating his nearest rival and BSP candidate Kamal Verma by a margin of just 446 votes.
Meanwhile, BJP candidates are seeking re-election from Raipur Domana, Suchet, Ranbir Singh, Pura, Jammu east, Nagrota and Jammu west in Jammu district.
In Kathua district, five Assembly constituencies are in the fray in the fifth phase.
Kathua constituency, where 15 candidates are in the fray, Charanjit Singh is seeking re-election as an Independent candidate. Singh had won the last election as an Independent candidate by a margin of 2,363 votes.
Billawar Bishnah constituency is another stronghold of Congress party. Congress candidate Manohar Lal Sharma, who in the last election won by a margin of 8383 votes, is seeking re-election from the constituency for the third time.
The other segments going to polls in this district are Bani, Basohil, Hira Nagar while voters from four constituencies of Rajouri - Nowshera, Darhal, Rajouri and Kala Kote.
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