In comparison to plains the hilly areas of Jammu are still witnessing a cool weather but Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad are both sweating it out in the sun to restrict the growing impact of BJP’s prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi among the electorate.
For last couple of days both the star campaigners are spending long hours traveling through the hilly roads, climbing small patches of inhospitable terrains on foot, addressing small gatherings of party workers and public meetings to seek votes in support of alliance candidates.
Currently Omar Abdullah is on a four-day tour in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch while Azad is touring the hilly districts of Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar.
Significantly, both the alliance leaders are discounting Modi wave in J&K and harping on the developmental agenda of the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre and Omar-led alliance Government in the State.
Sitting Congress MP from Jammu, Madan lal Sharma, is pitted against State BJP Chief Jugal Kishore Sharma from Jammu-Poonch lok Sabha seat while Union Health Minister is facing famous Diabetologist from Jammu Dr Jitendra Singh in his maiden lok Sabha polls from Udhampur-Doda seat.
In all there are 37 Assembly segments falling under the two lok Sabha seats in Jammu.
In 2009 Congress had won both the seats. The victory margin on the Jammu-Poonch seat was more than 1.2 lakh while it was less than 13,000 for Udhampur-Doda constituency.
In 2008 Assembly polls out of these 37 seats Congress had won 13 Assembly segments, BJP claimed 11 seats, National Conference won 6 seats, Jammu & Kashmir Panthers Party 3, PDP won two and two seats were won by Independent candidates.
After filing the nomination papers both the BJP candidates have been campaigning in their respective constituencies and moving from door to door to highlight the poor governance of Congress-led UPA Government and seeking votes from the electorate in the name of Narendra Modi to realise the dream of crossing 272 plus number in the lok Sabha. The BJP is also expected to do carpet bombing in the coming days and is gearing up its battery of star campaigners for the final assault in order to win the ‘battle of ballots’.