Despite the holy month of Ramazan and paddy plantation season, the electioneering has picked up in Anantnag Assembly segment which is scheduled to go for by-polls on June 22.
The Anantnag assembly segment is vacant since the death of former Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, who was elected from the constituency in 2014 elections. Late Mufti’s daughter, Mehooba, who took oath as Chief Minister of the state on April 4 is contesting from the constituency.
With just two days of campaigning left in Anantnag, both ruling and opposition parties are leaving no stone unturned to eek vote from people. While PDP seeks a decisive mandate to retrieve Jammu and Kashmir from the morass of political and economic uncertainties, opposition National Conference and Congress biggest propaganda against PDP is that it “ditched” the people who had given it mandate in 2014 to keep BJP-RSS combine away from power.
While former Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah held his party’s first rallies in the area on Friday, Mehbooba Saturday held a series of roadside election meetings in the constituency. The Congress has also held several election rallies in the constituency in last few days.
Mehbooba said the people of Jammu and Kashmir, more than ever before, on Saturday want the politicians to stand up and address the political and economic issues that matter to them.
She said the next five years are crucial for not only ensuring good governance but accomplishing the challenging task of rebuilding safe, sustainable and planned infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir.
Urging people to support her in upcoming elections, the chief minister said, “I have come to seek your vote and support to carry forward the mission of my father (late) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed which couldn’t be fully accomplished because of his sad demise.”
However, Mehbooba’s rivals have been targeting her party or aligning with rightwing BJP. Opposition Congress chief G A Mir while addressing an election rally warned the people against voting for PDP “as it would mean strengthening the RSS.”
Blaming PDP-BJP coalition for failing to respect the urges of the people, he appealed the people to defeat the PDP for facilitating RSS establishment in the State.
The state Congress chief reminded the people about the claims by PDP during 2014 elections and the slogan to keep BJP out of power. “Despite being opposite to each other with great ideological differences both PDP and BJP formed the government by not caring about the wishes of their electorates,” he said.
Mir said by-election is a “golden opportunity for the people of Anantnag to defeat the RSS backed PDP.”
Addressing the rallies veteran Bollywood actor and MP Raj Babbar termed the Congress as an instrument of service to the people.
Of the 102 polling stations across the constituency, 52 have been categorised as 'hyper-sensitive' while 50 others are 'sensitive,' while no polling station is normal from the security point of view. Around 85,000 voters in the town and 4,223 migrant Kashmiri Pandit voters would decide the fate of Mehbooba, NC candidate, Iftikhar Hussain Misger, Congress candidate Hilal Ahmad Shah and five independents.
Published 19 June 2016, 03:26 IST