Campaigning for the fourth phase of polling in In Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand came to an end today. In J&K, polling in 18 assembly constituencies spread over four districts viz Srinagar, Anantnag, Shopian and Samba will be held on December 14. J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, his three cabinet colleagues Ali Mohamamd Sagar, Peerzada Mohamamd Sayeed , Ghulam Ahmed Mir and Speaker Legislative Assembly Mubarak Gul and Peoples Democratic Party patron Mufti Mohamamd Sayeed are among the 182 candidates in the fray.
More than 14.73 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes for eight assembly seats in Srinagar district , six assembly segments in Anantnag district, two in Shopian district of Kashmir Valley and two Assembly constituencies of Samba district of Jammu Division. A total of 1,890 polling stations have been set up for the electorate in the four districts going to polls in the fourth phase.
AIR Srinagar Correspondent reports that Security arrangements in all the three districts of Kashmir valley and Samba district of Jammu Division which is close to international border have been strengthened in view of the last Friday's deadly attacks across Kashmir valley and earlier in Arnia sector of Jammu Division. Leaders of various political parties are levelling allegations and counter allegations against one another in a bid to woo voters.
Senior BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi , Amit Shah, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi during their election rallies accused the previous regimes of having neglected the development aspect of J&K State and having swindled the central funds meant for development. On the other hand senior Congress leaders and former J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad while attacking BJP over Article 370 accused it of betraying the people of Jammu region and patronising militant outfits in the valley for electoral gains .
National Conference working president and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is seeking votes on the issue of safeguarding and strengthening Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and in all his election rallies has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not helping the flood affected people of J&K State. Peoples Democratic Party is wooing the electorate by reiterating to purse ‘self-rule’ and rebuilding state’s shattered economy.
Campaigning for fourth phase in 15 Assembly seats of Jharkhand ended today and candidates are now undertaking door to door campaign. Voting will take place on 14th December. Our Correspondent reports that main contest is between BJP, JMM and JVM in most of the seats, while Congress and CPI (ML) also have their own traditional strengths in few seats.
The 15 Assembly seats of North East Santhal region of Jharkhand that is going to poll on Sunday, which faces many significant problems like unemployment due to closures of mica mines, large scale smuggling of coals and lack of drinking and irrigation water and security from naxals in remote areas, criminals in town areas and growing terror threats emanating from few madarsa bordering Bengal, which is under NIA radar. Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Uma Bharti today addressed many rallies and tried to convince that only BJP can provide solutions for these problems. But JMM, JVM and Congress leaders blamed BJP and also each other also, while trying to convince voters about their own suitability.
