Bigwigs, passionate appeals on show as campaigning ends for 2nd phase

Jammu/Srinagar: Ruling and opposition bigwigs led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi locked horns on the political stage as campaigning for the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir polls ended on Monday evening.

The blazing campaign saw emotional appeals to people and uncouth remarks about rivals, as the leaders tried to woo voters of 26 constituencies spread across six districts of the union territory, including the summer capital Srinagar.

There are 25.78 lakh eligible voters in the penultimate phase of the three-phase Assembly elections. An estimated 61.38 per cent of the electorate cast their ballots in the first phase of polling on September 18, while the third phase of elections covering the remaining 40 Assembly segments will go to polls in the final phase on October 1. The votes will be counted on October 8.

This is the first Assembly elections in J&K post the abrogation of the Article 370 which granted special status to the region and its bifurcation into two union territories in August 2019. The last were held in 2014.

PM Modi addressed two rallies, one each in Srinagar and Katra in Reasi district, on September 19, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed rallies in Mendhar, Surankote, Thanamandi, Rajouri and Nowshera in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also dashed to the two districts in the Jammu region to canvas for the BJP candidates and addressed rallies in Poonch, Budhal and Sunderbani during his day-long tour on Sunday. Both Shah and Singh addressed rallies in Akhnoor and Sainik colony in Jammu, while BJP president JP Nadda also visited Jammu to attend election-related events.

The star campaigners of the Congress included its president Mallikarjun Kharge and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

Gandhi addressed two rallies – one in the Surankote constituency in Poonch and another in the Central-Shalteng segment in Srinagar – to pull the curtains on the high-pitched campaign

of the Congress.

The BJP also deployed several of its union ministers and senior party functionaries, including Jitendra Singh and G Kishan Reddy for campaigning, while the Congress campaign featured AICC national secretary Sachin Pilot, Alka Lamba and other leaders.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah extensively campaigned for his party candidates on either side of the Pir Panjal Mountain Range while his son Omar Abdullah largely focused on the valley seats as he is contesting from Ganderbal and

Budgam segments.