| Cong, PDP, BJP candidates step-up campaigning in Jammu, Udhampur constituencies | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Apr 3 : Candidates belonging to the Congress, the PDP, the Panthers Party and the BJP, being main contestants in Jammu and Udhampur Lok Sabha constituencies, are making last minute efforts for reaching even remote corners of these two constituencies where rural areas are spread over bigger stretches of land than the urban belts.
Field reports said that the senior NC leaders, including Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, and some of his ministerial colleagues belonging to the NC have been seen campaigning in favour of the two Congress candidates, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Madan Lal Sharma, who are in the field in Udhampur and Jammu constituencies respectively.
Since less than five days are left for pre-poll campaign in the Jammu constituency, polling to take place on April 10, three Brahmin candidates belonging to the PDP, the BJP and the Congress have launched a vigorous campaign. While Madan Lal Sharma of the Congress continues to focus his interest in areas in the district of Jammu, besides belts in Akhnoor tehsil and parts of Sunderbani, Yashpal Sharma, of the PDP, concentrates in Poonch and Rajouri districts and Jugal Kishore of the BJP is seen campaigning in Hindu dominated areas of the constituency. Some candidates, particularly Madan Lal Sharma of the Congress, who has strong backing from his brother, Sham Lal Sharma, Minister in the cabinet headed by Omar Abdullah, is seen carrying out door to door campaign in some areas. While the BJP candidate faces some dissensions within the party after the expulsion of` Prof Chaman Lal Gupta there is no such problem for Madan Lal Sharma who has open support from both the dissidents and the loyalists in the party.
As far as the PDP candidate is concerned Yashpal Sharma has the backing of Muftis and the party's two MLAs and so far there is no rift in the PDP over his candidature.As far as the Udhampur seat is concerned polling is due on April 17. Here Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress seems to have the upper hand because of the possible split in the non-Congress votes among the candidates belonging to the PDP, the BJP and the Panthers Party.As far as the top leaders of the PDP are concerned they continue to stay put in Jammu and Udhampur constituencies because of the polling dates drawing very near. These senior PDP leaders would shift from Jammu and Udhampur areas to the three constituencies in the valley next week where they would campaign for the three party candidates. |
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