Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 3: Much before the announcement of the results of the Assembly elections, BJP leaders have started exercises to open channels of communication with potential Independent candidates of Jammu province.
While some senior central leaders including Ram Madhav are already in touch with strong Independent candidates of Kashmir Valley, leaders of Jammu province have been assigned the job of approaching those Independents who have the potential to emerge victorious in the elections.
Highly placed sources in the BJP said that some party leaders, who have cordial relations with strong Independent candidates, have been asked to initiate dialogue with them so that other political parties could not lure them in case of a fractured mandate.
As reported by the newspaper over half a dozen Independent candidates are emerging as strong contenders in their respective constituencies in Jammu province. In the prestigious Chhamb assembly segment of Jammu district where Congress stalwart and former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand is contesting elections against BJP BJP leaders have started exercises to open channels of communication with potential Independent candidates in Jammu province.
Some BJP leaders, who have cordial relations with strong Independent candidates, have been asked to initiate dialogue with them so that other political parties could not lure them in case of a fractured mandate.
Over half a dozen Independent candidates are emerging as strong contenders in their respective constituencies in Jammu province.
Independent candidates are all set to emerge as king makers.
Satish Sharma, son of two-time Lok Sabha member Madan Lal Sharma, is in the fray as a rebel candidate of the Congress party.
In the Udhampur East Assembly segment, Pawan Khajuria, a rebel BJP candidate, has emerged as a strong contender for this seat.
Suraj Singh Parihar, BJP’s rebel candidate in the Ramban Assembly segment has already created a lot of trouble for the party’s official candidate Rakesh Thakur.
In the Inderwal Assembly segment, former minister Ghulam Mohammad Saroori has emerged as a strong contender. Despite being vice president of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) of Ghulam Nabi Azad, he has joined the electoral battle as an Independent candidate.
In the newly carved Mata Vaishno Devi Assembly constituency, Independent candidate Jugal Kishore Sharma, who is also one of the founding members of the DPAP, has given a tough fight to the candidates of BJP and Congress.
Independent candidates also emerged strong contenders on Marh and Bani Assembly segments. | 