 Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 11: The political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir is heating up as two prominent players- the National Conference (NC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP), vie for the prestigious Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat.
Amidst this showdown, the role of the Congress party has come under intense scrutiny, particularly as both the NC and the PDP, supposedly alliance partners within the INDIA bloc, have decided to support Congress candidates in two other seats—Jammu and Udhampur—in the region.
Following a recent meeting with top Congress leadership in New Delhi, NC Vice President Omar Abdullah declared his party's decision not to contest from the Jammu and Udhampur seats. Instead, they pledged support to Congress, aiming to prevent a division of “secular votes.”
Similarly, the PDP has chosen to refrain from fielding candidates in these two constituencies, throwing their support behind Congress nominees—Raman Bhalla in Jammu and Choudhary Lal Singh in Udhampur.
Consequently, both seats will witness a direct contest between the BJP and Congress, whic The political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir is heating up as two prominent players- NC and PDP vie for the prestigious Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat.
Amidst this showdown, the role of the Congress party has come under intense scrutiny.
Both the NC and the PDP, have decided to support Congress candidates in Jammu and Udhampur seats.
Meanwhile, there’s growing speculation about the dynamics in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat, where both the NC and the PDP are actively contesting. The absence of Congress candidates in these three seats raises questions about the party's strategic moves.
“The NC and the PDP have opted out of the Udhampur seat, throwing their weight behind Congress candidate Choudhary Lal Singh. A similar scenario is observed in the Jammu seat.
This essentially sets the stage for a BJP versus Gupkar or INDIA partners showdown,” remarked a BJP leader familiar with the situation.
As the focus shifts to the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, where Congress holds considerable influence in areas like Rajouri, Surankot, Kokernag, Dooru, Devsar, and Shangus, attention is drawn to whom the Congress leadership will extend their support—PDP President Mehbooba Mufti or NC's Mian Altaf Ahmad. The unfolding political dynamics in these key seats will undoubtedly shape the course of Jammu and Kashmir's political landscape. | 