| Despite sub-zero temperature, electioneering at its peak in Kashmir | | |
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Nov 16 : Despite sub-zero temperature, electioneering is at its peak in the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region, where leaders of different political parties are holding road shows and rallies to woo the voters in favour of their party candidates.
However, the BJP took the help of the media to woo the voters, publishing a full page advertisement in local Urdu and English newspapers, to achieve the Mission-44 plus target.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also working-president of the National Conference (NC) other senior party leaders, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, president Mehbooba Mufti, Congress president Saifuddin Soz and leaders of other political parties are holding road shows and addressing elections rallies, drawing good crowes in traditional dress Kashmiri, the Pheran."
As many as nine assembly constituencies spread over four districts of Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kargil and Leh are going to polls on November 25 along with six constituencies in Jammu region in the first phase of the five phase elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
In the second phase of polling on December 2, electorates will elect their representatives in nine constituencies spread over Kupwara and Kulgam districts. Nine constituencies of Jammu will also go to polls on the same day.
Barring Leh, almost all constituencies are witnessing multi corner contests in these constituencies in the Kashmir valley and Ladakh regions, where NC has to defend ten, PDP 4, Congress and Communist Party of India (M) one each and independents two.
However, the political parties have yet to organise any election meeting in Srinagar, where people are still indifferent because of the September floods.
The BJP which has very little presence in the valley, has been trying hard to reach to the target of Mission 44 plus which is impossible without opening account in Kashmir.
BJP has been organizing poll meetings but the attendance is much lesser than other political parties.
A number of senior BJP leaders, including Ram Madhav and Union minister of state General (retd) V K Singh visited the Kashmir valley without holding any public meetings. trying to reach voters through media in Kashmir
Records show that there was absolutely no Modi wave in the Kashmir valley during Lok Sabha election when it swept away almost the entire country and won record number of seats to form a government at the Centre. Three BJP, candidates from Anantnag, Srinagar and Baramulla together could secure only 15845 votes, which was just 200 votes more than what the BJP candidates got (15650 votes) in 2008 assembly elections. The BJP which has decided to put up maximum candidates in the Kashmir valley to achieve the target of Mission 44 plus in the state used English and Urdu dailies of the Kashmir valley to reach out to voters as party candidates so far have not been able to draw large crowds as was witnessed in the elections rallies of National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Congress, Awami Itehand Party (AIP), Awami Mutahida Mahaz (AMM), Peoples Conference (PC) and even National Panther Party (NPP), a Jammu based party. |
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