Udhampur and Jammu Lok Sabha constituencies continued to witness a three-cornered contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress and Ghulam Nabi Aazad's Democratic Progressive Azad Party.
The BJP enforced its full strength in the campaign in the hot seats in Jammu and Kashmir. While the Congress seems to have adopted a subdued approach.
BJP eyes hat-trick
In both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the ruling BJP secured the Udhampur and Jammu seats with Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore emerging triumphant, respectively.
While the BJP seeking a hat-trick of wins in the two constituencies, the Congress, which has nominated two-time MP Lal Singh in Udhampur and its working president Raman Bhalla in Jammu, is hopeful to wrest the seats from the saffron party citing anti-incumbency.
The BJP's campaign in Jammu and Kashmir included rallies by top party leaders, such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister Anurag Thakur, and senior leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain.
In contrast, the Congress had only former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot and actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar addressing two rallies in the region since the announcement of the polls.
Poll issues in the constituencies
The BJP is banking on the 'Modi factor' and its promises delivered, including the abrogation of Article 370, the passage of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, and the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, along with various welfare schemes and infrastructure projects, to bolster its narrative of development.
PM Modi, while campaigning for Dr Jitendra Singh in Udhampur on April 12, said that assembly elections will be soon held in Jammu and Kashmir and the statehood will be restored.
On the other hand, the Congress is focusing on the issues of unemployment and safeguarding secularism besides restoration of statehood.
The grand old party is being backed by the National Conference (NC) with former chief ministers of the erstwhile-state of Jammu and Kashmir Dr Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah campaigning for the I.N.D.I.A bloc candidates in both seats.
Lal Singh is expected to give a tough battle to BJP's candidate and Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh in the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, which was once a Congress bastion.
His campaign has focused on the "identity" of J&K, which he alleges has been eroded by the BJP government at the Centre. He has been vocal in attacking the Modi government, accusing it of "destroying J&K during its 10 years of misrule."
Lal Singh was elected as MP from the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat in 2009 and 2004 on a Congress ticket.
He was also elected to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly as an MLA in 1996, 2002, and 2015, and served as the Minister in the PDP-Congress and PDP-BJP governments.
"It is a tough battle for the Union Minister this time, considering the popularity of Congress candidate Lal Singh among voters in the constituency.
He is also backed by the National Conference as an alliance candidate of the I.N.D.I.A bloc,” political analyst Dr Tej Krishen said.
Azad's party emerges as the third biggest contender
The Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad is campaigning for his party candidate and former minister G M Saroori, who is contesting from Udhampur. Azad has been criticising regional political parties like the NC, Congress and PDP.
(With PTI inputs)
