In poll-bound Jammu and Kashmir as the electioneering is peaking the political slugfest is getting murkier in the run-up to the first phase of polling on September 18.

In Kashmir, two mainstream regional parties National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have locked horns with each other in a bid to consolidate their support base in their pocket boroughs.

The arch-rivals first clashed with each other after some of the members belonging to the Jamaat-e-Islami (banned organization) decided to contest the Assembly polls as Independent candidates.

PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti also taunted Omar Abdullah for contesting from two Assembly segments. "Omar Abdullah was reiterating one thing from the last 3-4 years, that he would not contest elections till the time statehood is restored in J&K. Now he is contesting from two seats. This shows the difference between what he says and what he does. This is what his family has done since 1947, Mehbooba reminded.

On Sunday, she once again launched a frontal attack on the party claiming if her party had not been there, the National Conference would have been functioning in a dictatorial manner in Jammu and Kashmir.

“If Mufti Mohammed Sayeed had not founded PDP then the National Conference would still be functioning in a dictatorial manner. People are very angry and upset with the National Conference,” she added.

On the other hand, National Conference President and former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah trained his guns on the Bharatiya Janta Party after the Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed the NC- Congress alliance wanted to spread terrorism, snatch reservations of Gujjars, Bakarwal, Paharis, and Dalits, release criminals, and start LOC trade with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.

After paying tributes to the party founder Sheikh Mohd Abdullah on his 42nd death anniversary at Naseembagh mausoleum, Dr Farooq Abdullah told reporters on Sunday the BJP top brass was focussing its election campaign on  Jammu as they want to “intimidate” the Hindu voters of Jammu and Kashmir by creating false fears.

He also accused the BJP of misleading the people by claiming that terrorism would rise again if the National Conference and Congress alliance came to power in Jammu and Kashmir.

“They (BJP) want to threaten the Hindu community. They think the Hindus will vote for them but today the Hindus have changed. First, they (BJP) sought votes in the name of Ram and now they want to intimidate them,” Abdullah charged.

In Jammu, the BJP unit demanded the Election Commission of India (ECI) to reject or cancel the nomination of former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for threatening the people.

Addressing the media persons, J & K BJP Chief Spokesperson Sunil Sethi here said, “A former Sarpanch of Ganderbal, with consent from Omar Abdullah, has threatened that those who do not support the flag of NC would be killed.”

Omar has filed his nomination from the Ganderbal Assembly constituency. Sethi said that ADC has already filed a complaint and BJP will also approach ECI to file a complaint against Omar Abdullah demanding the cancellation of his nomination.

“Our legal experts are exploring various legal options and soon we will approach ECI demanding cancellation or rejection of Omar Abdullah’s nomination from Ganderbal,” Sethi said, adding, “There is no way that former Sarpanch could have threatened the people without the consent of Omar”.“Sadly, Omar is questioning the decision of the Supreme Court on the hanging of Afzal Guru, who was involved in the attack on the Indian Parliament,” Sethi said, adding, “Raising the issue of the terrorist Afzal Guru during elections shows that NC has no issue”.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also campaigned for the BJP candidate in Banihal on Sunday. 

Addressing an election rally in the Ramban assembly constituency in support of BJP candidate Rakesh Singh Thakur, the Defence Minister asked the residents of Pakistan-occupied  Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) to come and join India as “we consider you our own unlike Pakistan which treats you as foreigners”.  Singh asserted there is a sea change in the overall security situation in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

The senior BJP leader came down heavily on the National Conference-Congress alliance over its poll promise of restoring Article 370 and said it is impossible as long as the BJP is there.

He said the “sea change” witnessed in the overall security situation in J-K since August 2019 means that youths now carry laptops and computers in their hands instead of pistols and revolvers.

Now, nobody dares to fire bullets at people in Srinagar, he said.

“Support the BJP to form the next government in J-K so that we can facilitate massive development in the region. There will be so much development that the people in PoJK on seeing this should say that we do not want to live with Pakistan and instead will go to India,” the defence minister said.