Future of several heavyweight candidates is at stake in the fifth and final round of polling in Jammu region on December 20. A total number of 213 candidates would be rubbing shoulders with each other across three districts of Jammu region in a multi-corner contest on all Assembly seats.
Over 18.26 lakh voters are expected to exercise their right to franchise across 2,366 polling stations in Jammu, Kathua and Rajouri districts amid tight security arrangements.
The Election Commission authorities have made elaborate security arrangements to ensure free and fair polling.
Future of Devender Singh Rana, a close aide of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and younger brother of MoS, PMO Dr Jitendra Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, two other Congress Ministers Raman Bhalla and Sham lal Sharma is at stake.
Rana is contesting Assembly polls for the first time. He is facing Nad Kishore,younger brother of BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma from Nagrota Assembly segment. Rana is hoping to wrest the seat from the BJP strong hold. Before becoming MP from Jammu-Poonch lok Sabha seat Jugal won the seat in 2002 and 2008 Assembly polls.
On the other hand Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand is facing an uphill task to retain his seat in Chhamb assembly segment. On the last day of campaigning Tara Chand addressed election meeting sitting on the ground in front of his supporters. He made passionate appeal to voters to elect him to carry forward the ongoing works in the assembly constituency.
Tara Chand is facing tough challenge from BJP candidate Dr Krishan lal.
Apart from pro-Modi wave BJP is banking heavily on the anti-incumbency against three time Congress MlA Tara Chand.
Several scams hit the state education and Housing department, held by Tara Chand in the Omar Abdullah cabinet. Sham lal Sharma,PHE Irrigation and Flood control Minister is also burning mid night oil to retain his seat from Akhnoor Assembly segment.
In posh Gandhi Nagar Housing Minister Raman Bhalla is locked in a straight fight with former BJP Mayor Kavinder Gupta. Gupta enjoys upper hand due to his clean image while Bhalla has lost his support base in the constituency and earned wrath of voters for focusing only on few pockets considered his loyalists. In Basohli Ch lal Singh is in the fray while BJP Executive Member and former state President is inching closer to rewriting history from Billawar Assembly segment.
The frontier Rajouri district is also witnessing close contest between National Conference, Congress and BJP on three Assembly seats of Rajouri,Nowshera and Kalakote while PDP, NC and BJP are locked in close contest from Darhal Assembly seat.