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| Symbolic gesture: Top leaders rushing J&K for signing off campaign | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Nov 26: When two phases of elections are over, campaigning is about to end for third one and the fourth phase is just round the corner; the top ‘national’ leaders of both Congress and the Bhartiya Janta Party have drawn up their campaign schedule for Jammu and Kashmir.
This last-end campaign schedule of the leaders underlines that for national leaders of top political parties it is the voter turnout which is a matter of concern and not that which parties comes to power. Therefore, the campaigning at this stage by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, LK Advani and Arun Jaitley is likely to more symbolic in nature than actually turning wave for their respective parties.
Star campaigner Rahul Gandhi is arriving in the state Friday for meetings both in the Kashmir valley and in the Jammu region. The Lok Sabha MP, who will be campaigning here for the first time, will address his first meeting in Tangdhar in Karnah constituency of Kupwara district in the valley; he will later fly down to Udhampur. 'We have put up a strong candidate in Karnah (retired deputy commissioner Sheikh Yasin) and Rahul Gandhi's visit would be a great boost to him,' said state Congress chief Saifuddin Soz.
Sonia Gandhi arrives Dec 3 to canvass for votes in Uri in the valley and in the mountain locked Doda district of Jammu region, added Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Ravinder Sharma.
In the second week of December comes the prime minister to rally voters for the sixth and seventh phases.
BJP National General Secretary and Member of Parliament Arun Jaitley, accompanied by in-charge J&K elections R P Singh, would lead the poll wagon for the 13 constituencies of Jammu region, which would go to poll in the seventh phase on December 24.
"Both of us, me and Mr Jaitley will be reaching Jammu on November 30 and during our stay till December 25 in the region, various arrangements and political scenario for the polls in 13 important constituencies of Jammu district will be discussed with the local as well as the senior leadership," Mr Singh said over the phone.
Mr Singh said senior leadership from Punjab, including MLAs and the ministers are frequently visiting Jammu and helping the BJP candidates in campaigning.
"Leadership from Punjab have been assigned the task to accompany the party candidates to conduct door to door campaign and address the public rallies in various constituencies, which will go to poll in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh phases on December 7, 13, 17 and 24 respectively," added the BJP leader.
Besides campaigning and rallies, the leadership would also visit the Kashmiri Pandit voters, seeking their support for the party candidates fielded in the Kashmir region, he added.
"Once the high command gets free from campaigning and electioneering process in rest of the states, they will be moving towards Jammu and Kashmir, which is one of the major targets for BJP," Mr Singh asserted.
He said to strengthen the party’s campaigning process, the BJP stalwarts, Member of Parliaments and celebrities, including Bollywood actors turned politicians would also be visiting Jammu to campaign for the party prior to the polls.
"Celebrities, including Bollywood stars-turned-politicians like Hema Malini, Shatrughan Sinha, Vinod Khanna and Smriti Irani will be campaigning for the party and attending the road shows," Mr Singh said, adding that former cricketer and Member of Parliament Navjot Singh Sidhu would also visit the town in support of the party candidates.
Mr Singh further said, "Besides cine-stars, BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate L K Advani will address a public rally here while personalities, including party president Rajnath Singh, Gujarat Chief Minister Narender Modi, leader Sushma Swaraj will participate in the road shows in various towns of the State and address the public."
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