Srinagar: Campaigning ended for the second phase of assembly elections Monday evening as 26 assembly constituencies across six districts of Jammu & Kashmir, including Ganderbal, Srinagar and Budgam in Kashmir Division and; Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu Division are going to polls on Oct 25th.
Besides Prime Minister Narinder Modi, Home Minister, Amit Shah, Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, BJP President, JP Nadda, several BJP leaders addressed election rallies, mostly in Jammu region, while as star campaigners from Congress were leader of the opposition in LS, Rahul Gandhi and party’s president Kharge, who also addressed poll rallies both in Jammu region and Kashmir, besides other party leaders including fire-brand Kanhaiya Kumar.
Two top regional leaders, Dr Farooq Abdullah (NC) and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), both are them are not contesting the assembly polls, campaigned vigorously for their respective party candidates.
Besides Omar Abdullah of NC, Tariq Karra of INC, Altaf Bukhari of Apni Party, former ministers like A R Rather, G N Hanjoora, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Asiya Naqash, Hakeem Yasin, Ashraf Mir, several former MLAs, MLCs, Mayors are trying their luck in Srinagar, Ganderbal and Budgam districts.
NC vice president, Omar Abdullah, who is contesting from Ganderbal and Budgam constituencies, had a hectic schedule, campaigning everywhere, however, the star campaigner of the party was Aga Rohullah, the sitting MP from central Kashmir, who addressed so many poll rallies and road shows.
On PDP’s part, Ilteja Mufti emerged as a star campaigner attracting crowds. Though her fate was sealed on 18th of Sep, when Bijbehara, the segment she is contesting polls voted in first phase, she emerged as star campaigner for her party in second phase besides Wahid Parra, who is contesting from Pulwama.
Except Beerwa constituency in Budgam district, there was no much campaign by those who claim to be fighting from jails for release of prisoners.
In Beerwa, Abdul Rashid Sheikh alias Er Rashid’s party has fielded former DDC chairman, Nazir Khan while as jailed separatist Sarjan Ahmad Wagay alias Barkati too is contesting in absentia.
Barkati’s daughter has ran a hot campaign unnerving Khan, who used some derogatory remarks against her generating a controversy, however, NC and PDP too have been running a massive campaign in this segment.
Apni Party president, Syed Altaf Bukhari is trying his luck in Chanpora constituency and ran an aggressive door-to-door campaign.
Congress party’s J&K head, Tariq Hamid Karra is contesting from Shalteng constituency and is supported by alliance partner NC. On the concluding day of his poll campaign, Rahul Gandhi addressed a poll rally appealing people to vote for him.
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.
