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| Last round to be contest of elites | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 18: Following a highly competitive election over six phases that saw huge voter turnout all over the state, focused has now shifted on twin Capital Cities and their outskirts where a contest between political elites is on the cards on December 24 –the last phase of polling.
As many as 21 constituencies of Jammu, Samba and Srinagar are going to polls where around a dozen and half former Ministers and over a score of former legislators are seeking election. Former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah is contesting election from two constituencies in Srinagar district –Hazratbal and Sonwar.
Over 63 per cent polling was recorded yesterday in the sixth phase, which spread in the districts of Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar in Jammu Division and Anantnag and Kulgam districts in Kashmir.
The heavy turnout of voters in the sixth phase has once again proved that people of the Kashmir Valley don't believe in the politics of separatism.
Approximately 57 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the fifth phase on Saturday. Polling took place in eleven constituencies in the districts of Kathua, Shopian and Pulwama.
An estimated 55 per cent of the 14 lakh electorate exercised their franchise in the fourth phase of polling on December 7.
Despite the call by separatists for election boycott, 64 per cent participated in the first phase. At least 65 per cent voting was recorded during the second phase of polling.
In the first four phases, the number of candidates showed a marked increase this time as compared to 2002. In the Kashmir division the number has gone up to more than double.
The results will be declared on December 28.
In the remaining 21 one constituencies, where polling is to take place on December 24,the fate of about 20 former ministers, including a former Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah and Assembly Speaker, Tara Chand, will be decided. Dr Abdullah is contesting from two constituencies of Srinagar district, Hazratbal and Sonawar, after he decided to allow his son, Omar Abdullah,to contest from Ganderbal constituency. Farooq Abdullah had scored a hat-trick from Ganderbal constituency when he had won the seat successively in 1983, 1987 and 1996 elections. In 2002 he had not contested the election.
Ali Mohammed Sagar, contesting from Khanyar, Raman Mattoo from Habbakadal, Tariq Hamid Qarra, Batamaloo are former ministers whose fate will be decided on December 24.The list of former ministers from Jammu and Samba districts is longer than in Srinagar district. Mangat Ram Sharma, a former deputy chief Minister is contesting from Jammu West, Surjit Singh Slathia (Vijaypur), Ajat Shatru Singh (Nagrota), Mulla Ram (Raipur Domana),Jugal Kishore (Nagrota), Manjt Singh (Vijaypur), Yashpaul Kundal (Samba), Suman Bhagat (R.S.Pora), Raman Bhalla (Gandhi Nagar), Ajay Sadhotra (Marh) are all former Ministers whose fate will be sealed in the EVMs on December 24.
Tara Chand, who had won the Chhamb seat in 1996 and 2002, is again trying his luck from the same constituency. From the BJP side a former union Minister of state for Defence, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta, is in the field from Jammu West constituency. On the other side of the city, Jammu east, the BJP Chief, Ashok Khajuria is in the field. In 2002 he had lost the seat by a margin of over 3,000 votes. It is going to be a battle among former ministers in the seventh and last phase of polling.
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