High-octane campaigning ends for second phase of assembly polls in J&K

Jammu/Srinagar, Sep 23 (PTI) Ruling and opposition bigwigs led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi locked horns on the political stage as campaigning for the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir polls ended on Monday evening.

The blazing campaign saw emotional appeals to people and uncouth remarks about rivals, as the leaders tried to woo voters of 26 assembly constituencies spread across six districts of the union territory, including the summer capital Srinagar.

There are 25.78 lakh eligible voters in the penultimate phase of the three-phase assembly elections.

An estimated 61.38 per cent of the electorate cast their ballots in the first phase of polling on September 18, while the third phase of elections covering the remaining 40 assembly segments will go to polls in the final phase on October 1. The votes will be counted on October 8.

This is the first assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir post the abrogation of Article 370 which granted special status to the region and its bifurcation into two union territories in August 2019. The last assembly elections were held in 2014.

Modi addressed two rallies, one each in Srinagar and Katra in Reasi district, on September 19, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed rallies in Mendhar, Surankote, Thanamandi, Rajouri and Nowshera in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also dashed to the two districts in the Jammu region to canvas for the BJP candidates and addressed rallies in Poonch, Budhal and Sunderbani during his daylong tour on Sunday.

Both Shah and Singh addressed rallies in Akhnoor and Sainik colony in Jammu, while BJP president J P Nadda also visited Jammu to attend election-related events.

The star campaigners of the Congress included its president Mallikarjun Kharge and the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

Gandhi addressed two rallies — one in the Surankote constituency in Poonch and another in the Central-Shalteng segment in Srinagar — to pull the curtains on the high-pitched campaign of the Congress.

The BJP also deployed several of its union ministers and senior party functionaries, including Jitendra Singh and G Kishan Reddy for campaigning, while the Congress campaign featured AICC national secretary Sachin Pilot, Alka Lamba and other leaders.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah extensively campaigned for his party candidates on either side of the Pir Panjal Mountain Range while his son and vice president Omar Abdullah largely focused on the valley seats as he is contesting from Ganderbal and Budgam segments.

Iltija Mufti seems to have taken over the mantle of lead campaigner for the PDP as party president Mehbooba Mufti was not as active as she used to be in earlier elections.

The campaigning had its share of emotional moments particularly the cap-removing gesture by Omar Abdullah while seeking support from the people of Ganderbal. The former chief minister impressed upon people that it was not only his dignity that was at stake but of all people.

There were also incidents of the discourse going downhill with some candidates using foul language against their rivals.

Sugra, the daughter of jailed separatist leader Sarjan Ahmad Barkati, was at the receiving end of verbal abuse as she campaigned for her father, contesting from Ganderbal and Beerwah segments.

The second phase of polling on September 25 will decide the political fate of 239 candidates, including former chief minister Omar Abdullah.

Other prominent candidates in the fray include Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina (Nowshera constituency), Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hamid Karra (Central-Shalteng), Apni party president Altaf Bukhari (Channapora), former ministers Ali Sagar (Khanyar), Rahim Rather (Chrar-i-Sharief), and Choudhary Zulfikar (Budhal) and Syed Mushtaq Bukhari (Surankote), both of whom are fighting on a BJP ticket.

Officials said the political blitzkrieg witnessed over the past few weeks ended peacefully at 6 pm on Monday for the mandatory 48-hour ‘silence period’ before the conclusion of the daylong polling on Wednesday which is scheduled to start at 7 am.

According to officials, the highest 93 candidates are trying their luck from eight seats of Srinagar district, followed by 46 in five seats of Budgam district, 34 in five seats of Rajouri district, 25 in three seats of Poonch district, 21 in two seats of Ganderbal district and 20 in three seats of Reasi district.

A total of 3,502 polling stations have been set up in the poll-bound constituencies with adequate security arrangements to ensure peaceful polling, the officials said.