The first phase will cover 15 seats in Jammu and Kashmir, where 12
sitting MLAs, including seven ministers, are among 123 candidates are
trying their luck, and 13 Maoists-affected constituencies in Jharkhand.
While
in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah- led National
Conference (NC) is fighting against main opposition People’s Democratic
Party (PDP), BJP and Congress in a multi cornered contest, ruling
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) headed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren will
be seeking to retain power in the face of a challenge by BJP.
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, BJP's star campaigner, Congress chief Sonia
Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi and Omar spearheaded the campaign
in the run up to the first phase of polling.
While Modi
asked voters to opt for a change of guard in both the states by seeking
an end to dynastic rule, the Gandhis had accused BJP of a divisive
agenda and making false promises of inclusive development.
Security
agencies in Jharkhand were put on alert following intelligence inputs
suggesting that Naxals were planning to attacks leaders of Rashtriya
Janata Dal (RJD) and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM).
Intelligence
agencies also intercepted conversations of leaders of Pakistan-based
militant groups Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammad with local
commanders in Jammu and Kashmir asking them to ensure boycott of coming
assembly elections.
The separatist groups like all factions
of Hurriyat Conference and JKLF have called for a boycott of the polls
on Tuesday and called for a general strike as well.
While six
constituencies in Jammu division will vote to elect their
representatives, the electorate in five segments in Kashmir and four in
Ladakh will seal the fate of the aspirants in the polling that is
scheduled to begin at 8 AM.
The assembly segments going to
polls on Tuesday include Kishtwar, Inderwal, Doda, Bhaderwah, Ramban and
Banihal (in Jammu division); Gurez, Bandipora, Sonawari, Kangan and
Ganderbal (in Kashmir), Nobra, Leh, Kargil and Zanskar (in Ladakh).
A
total of 10,502,50 voters, including 5,49,698 males and 5,00,539
females, besides 13 transgenders are eligible to exercise their right to
franchise in the first phase of the polls in J & K.
Bhaderwah
has the largest number of 1,04,354 voters among the 15 constituencies,
while Nobra constituency in Ladakh region has the lowest with 13,054
voters.
Seven ministers are seeking re-election in the first
phase - Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi (from Gurez), Mohammad Akbar Lone
(Sonawari), Mian Altaf (Kangan), Sajad Kichloo (Kishtwar), Abdul Majid
Wani (Doda), Nawang Rigzin Joa (Leh) and Vikar Rasool Wani (Banihal).
Besides
the ministers who are all sitting MLAs, five legislators will be
seeking a re-election in the first phase of polls. They are PDP’s
Nizamudding Bhat (Bandipora), Congress candidates Ghulam Mohammad
Saroori (Inderwal), Sharief Niaz (Bhaderwah), Ashok Kumar (Ramban) and
National Conference’s Tsetan Namgyal (Nobra) are the sitting MLAs
seeking another term.
In Jharkhand, adequate security forces
have been deployed in all the 13 constituencies where 33,61,938 voters,
with nearly half of them women, are eligible to exercise their franchise
to elect their representatives from among 199 candidates in the fray.
BJP has fielded candidates in 12 of the 13 seats while allotting one to AJSU at Lohardaga as per the seat adjustment.
RJD,
which is contesting seven seats and is in alliance with Congress and
JD(U), is engaged in a friendly contest with JD(U) in Chhatarpur and
Hussainabad constituencies.
Congress, which is contesting in seven of the 13 seats, is also locked in a friendly bout with RJD in Manika.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi set the tone for the election battle by making a veiled reference to Arvind Kejriwal as an "anarchist" in the first BJP rally at Ramlila Maidan.
