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| Campaigning for first round of LS polls ends | | |
Early Times Report
Srinagar: The electioneering for first of the five phased parliamentary polls reached its climax this evening after a hectic last round of rallies in Jammu by political parties to woo voters in their favour. The Jammu-Poonch segment will go to polls on April 16.
While the ruling alliance tried to influence voters with the charm of Gandhi and Abdullah family scions, other parties including Bhartiya Janta Party and People’s Democratic Party candidates also did their best to woo the electorate in their favour.
Sources told Press Bureau of India that Rahul Gandhi—Congress general secretary and Omar Abdullah—incumbent Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, shared a common platform at Vijaypur rally to campaign in favour of Congress candidate, Madan Lal Sharma on the last date of campaigning this afternoon.
The sources said that the authorities had placed tightened security around the venue especially in the wake of the heightened threat perceptions even though both enjoy Z-plus security.
Pertinently, a 27-member team of Special Protection Group from New Delhi reached Jammu on Saturday to devise special security measures with the state police.
Rahul Gandhi and his mother and Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi had campaigned for the party candidates during the state poll, with the Congress chief visiting the state twice and Rahul coming to the state once.
For People’s Democratic Party, party patron Mufti Sayeed was seen campaigning for its candidates while the BJP candidate Leela Karan Sharma, former convenor of the Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti, has been supported by the party top brass during the electioneering.
Bhaujan Samaj Party (BSP) also did not lag behind as its chief and the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayavati recently addressed a rally in Jammu in favour of the party candidate, Hussain Ali Wafa.
The Lok Sabha segment, going to polls in the first of the five phased election calendar on April 16, has been mainly held by congress.
Congress won it in 1967, 1971, 1984, 1989, 1996 and 2004 while BJP, candidate Vaid Visho Dutt won the seat in 1998, and 1999.
Congress leader Inderjeet Malhotra had won the election for two successive terms in 1967 and 1971 while Janata Party leader Thakur Baldev Singh was elected from the seat in 1977 as an Independent candidate.
In 1980, Congress again wrested the seat with Girdhari Lal Dogra getting elected. In 1984 and 1989, Congress candidate Janak Raj Gupta represented the seat while Lok Sabha election was not held in the State in 1990 due to security reasons.
In 1996, Congress leader Mangat Ram Sharma was elected from the Jammu-Poonch segment. In 2002 by-election held after the death of BJP’s Dutt, National Conference had won the seat for the first time with Choudhary Talib Hussain emerging victorious.
During the last elections in 2004, Madan Lal Sharma wrested the seat against defeating 25 candidates including his nearest rival Dr. Nirmal Singh of BJP.
The Parliamentary Constituency has the highest number of 17, 21, 696 electorate including 8, 89, 562 male and 8, 32, 134 female voters. This also includes 23,674 service electors which is the highest count among the six Parliamentary seats of the State.
Jammu-Poonch seat comprised highest number of 20 Assembly segments among all six Lok Sabha seats of the State. While Jammu district has 11 Assembly seats, Rajouri four, Poonch three and Samba two.
Among 20 Assembly segments, BJP represents a maximum number of 7 (all in Jammu district), followed by Congress, which has five MLAs, NC 4, PDP 2, NPP and Independent one each.
Even though there are 21 candidates in fray for the Jammu-Poonch parliamentary segment, the contest is likely between Madan Lal Sharma of congress and Bhartiya Janta Party’s Leela Karan Sharma.
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