Early Times Report
Jammu, May 16: Riding high on the pro-Modi wave and anti-incumbency wave against the alliance Govt headed by Omar Abdullah electorate in Jammu and Kashmir stunned leaders of the ruling alliance and pollsters by handing over decisive mandate in favour of BJP candidates in Jammu region, both debutantes in the Parliament.
Adding to highest ever tally of party at national level, BJP swept the polls in Jammu and Ladakh bagging three seats in the state, two in Jammu region and one in Ladkah.
In Jammu-Poonch, BJP's MLA Jugal Kishore Sharma, who got the State's maximum of 6,19,995 votes, defeated Congress party's incumbent Madan Lal Sharma with a huge margin of 2,56,950 votes. Sharma secured 3,62,715. PDP's Yashpal Sharma stood third with 1,68, 554 votes.
In Udhampur-Doda, BJP's debutant Dr Jitendra Singh defeated Congress party's high profile candidate and Union Cabinet Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad with a margin of 60,976 votes. While as Dr Singh polled 4,87,369 votes, Azad trailed with 4,26,393. PDP's Arshid Malik got 30,461 and the National Panthers Party candidate Prof Bhim Singh just 25,312 votes. Pertinently, Azad, who served as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 2006 to 2008, was contesting for his J&K's Udhampur home constituency for the first time in his political career. He has contested and won Wassan seat in Maharashtra in 1984. It is Azad's defeat which has stunned all- from stalwarts in political circles and experts to even common man among supporters.
He has contested Assembly elections twice in the state so far in which he first forfeited his security deposit from Inderwal constituency due to crushing defeat and second time he won from his native Bhaderwah constituency as a Chief Minister.
In Leh-Kargil, BJP's Thupstan Chhewang defeated independent candidate Ghulam Raza with a margin of 36 votes. Chhewang got 31,111 and Raza, who was sponsored by Kargil's influential Shia outfit Imam Khomeini Trust, 31,075 votes.
There were high stakes for NC-Congress coalition in the Lok Sabha polls ahead of December-end Assembly elections. In last elections, the NC-Congress coalition had bagged 5 out of 6 seats. |
