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| Grand finale: Azad, Farooq hit ground on same day | | BATTLE OF POONCH | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Dec 8: In a final showdown at battle of Poonch, Sunday will pick up fresh heat as Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and National Conference patron Dr Farooq Abdullah test the popularity ground on same day.
As over two dozen top National Conference and Congress leadersincluding many legislators and Ministers continue to camp in Poonch,the two top most leaders of both parties are reaching Poonch tomorrow for the grand finale. It will be an interesting scene when the National Conference patron, Dr Farooq Abdullah, lands in Poonch tomorrow where Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, would also seek voters support on the same day. Dr Farooq left for Rajouri today where he will spend the night and tomorrow morning he will be in Poonch. Mr Azad is likely to be in Pooch in the afternoon.
Dr Farooq's charisma will be on test for the first time during the last five years. Since he did not campaign in 2002 Assembly poll his skill in turning the tide the tide in favour of the NC candidate, Aijaz Jan, will be tested in the light of party President, Omar Abdullah's recent announcement that "our job was to select the candidate and Dr Abdullah's task was to get them elected."
The Congress stands split horizontally in Poonch Assembly constituency after Yash Pal Sharma, who had lost the 2002 poll by a margin of 646 votes, was denied the party ticket. As a rebel candidate Yash Pal Sharma has been giving sleepless nights to the Congress, especially the Chief Minister, whose political stature may be tested in the constituency. The poll results will determine whether Azad's selection of Jehangir Mir was right or wrong. In fact Azad has more at stake in Pooch than Dr Abdullah.
The poll results will also be a barometer of the strength of the Congress and the National Conference. Neither side can take for granted the support of Gujjar, Pahari and rural voters. If the voting trend in 2002 poll is any guide one can say that Pooch is yet to witness polarization of voters on communal consideration because in 2002 Yash Pal Sharma had bagged a sizeable number of Muslim votes. |
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