BJP leaders, including PM Modi and J.P. Nadda, are mobilising support in Jammu, focusing on development and countering dynastic politics.
Srinagar: From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to BJP President J.P. Nadda, all the stalwarts and star campaigners are addressing public rallies in Jammu region to pull off a victory in many of the 43 Assembly segments. It is in place to mention that in 2014, BJP got 25 seats out of 37 Assembly segments in Jammu region, which now has 43 Assembly segments after the 2022 delimitation process.
Large hoardings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are visible not only in Jammu city but also in the hilly areas like Kathua, Chenab valley and Rajouri and Poonch.
J.P. Nadda, on Friday, said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir will reject dynastic politics and will give BJP a chance to form a government for inclusive development and peace. He said that people of Jammu and Kashmir reposed their faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his policies. According to the analysts and senior journalists of the Jammu region, BJP has an edge in many of the areas and Congress has not been “very active” during the election campaign.
“Omar Abdullah could sense the trouble in the Jammu region and suggested to his coalition partner Congress to concentrate on the Jammu region”, said Arun Joshi former editor of Tribune and senior journalist of Jammu.
BJP unit of Jammu and Kashmir is relying on the popularity of Prime Minister Modi as he is going to address one more election rally to shore-up support for BJP candidates. Few months back it seemed that BJP may not be able to win many seats in Jammu region, but now the healthy election rallies have consolidated their votes, especially in Hindu dominated areas.
The politics of Kashmir and the recent alliance between Engineer Rashid and Jamaat-e-Islami has raised concerns among migrant Kashmiri pandits and some sections of Jammu society that separatists may call the shorts if Jammu will not give clear mandate to BJP.
Recently, senior BJP leader Sham Lal Sharma said, “Time has come for Jammu to elect a Dogra Hindu chief minister”.
Sharma is the BJP candidate from Jammu North, and he told the media that there is a strong wave of support for BJP in the entire Jammu region.
In Kashmir Valley, the two phases of elections so far have indicated that there would be a fractured mandate, as NC-Congress alliance is fighting many factors on the ground, including low voter turnout in Srinagar. The district’s poll percentage was 27.9% in the 2014 Assembly election and recorded 29.24% this time; J&K Chief Electoral Officer says Srinagar saw an increase of 5% compared to voter turnout of the recent Lok Sabha polls.
As Jammu region is going to be the key for the formation of any government after a decade, NC-Congress alliance is still hopeful that they will be able to get seats in the hilly areas of Jammu region, including Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Rajouri and Poonch.
The third and final phase on October 1 would be watched closely by all the political parties and political observers, as BJP is hopeful to consolidate its base especially among the Pahari tribal communities as they were given ST status by the BJP government after four decades.