Srinagar/Ranchi: The high-pitched campaign for the second phase of election on December 2 in 18 seats in Jammu and Kashmir and 20 in Jharkhand ended today with Prime Minister Narendra spearheading BJP's bid too woo voters even as the performance of his government came under attack.
The campaign fever had heightened in Jammu and Kashmir after a record over 71 per cent voting in 15 seats during the first phase on November 25. Nine seats in Jammu and as many in Kashmir are going to polls in the second phase with 175 candidates in fray, including several high-profile candidates like former separatist Sajad Lone and four state ministers.
In Jharkhand, former Chief Ministers Arjun Munda and Madhu Koda and three ministers are among 223 candidates, including 35 women, contesting from 20 seats-- 16 of them reserved for tribals. Both the states are witnessing multi-cornered contests. Of the nine constituencies in the Valley, the contest in Handwara in north Kashmir has evoked interest as Lone is
making debut in assembly elections after unsuccessfully contesting the Lok Sabha polls in 2009. BJP has not fielded its candidate from Handwara segment. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is leading the campaign of National Confernce, had accused Lone of ganging up with the BJP, which he alleged wants to end the special status of the state.
"Today, suddenly one of the leaders (Sajad Lone) sees a brother in (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi. The brother who wants to remove Article 370, the flag and the Constitution of this state," he had said. The only woman minister in National Conference-led coalition government, Sakina Ittoo, is among the four ministers in the fray for Noorabad assembly segment going to polls in Tuesday. Other ministers from her party inlcude Law Minister Saifullah Mir (Kupwara) and Chaudhary Mohammad Ramzan (Handwara) while Ajaz Ahmad Khan (Gool Arnas) is from Congress.
A total of 15.35 lakh people are eligible to vote. Security arrangements have been tightened following a terrorist attack in Arnia on November 28 in which 10 people lost their lives and a grenade attack in Srinagar yesterday in which eight people were injured. Yesterday, militants had also triggered a blast targeting an army vehicle near LoC in Poonch, but the troops escaped unhurt.
The campaigning for the second phase saw many political bigwigs addressing rallies including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi. While BJP led by Modi raised the issue of corruption and dynastic politics and promised to bring development, it remained silent on the controversial issues of brogation of Article 370 relating to special staus to Jammu and Kashmir.
The party released a vision document in which it tried to woo Kashmiri Pandits by promising to reserve three seats in Kashmir for the community displaced from the Valley due to militancy. Ruling National Conference said it would oppose any attempt to "tamper" with Article 370 and press for the reversal of "erosion" of the constitutional provision over the years.
Targeting Modi government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that it was being run by big industrialists and had failed to fulfill the promises made during the election campaign.
