A battle of prestige between BJP, Congress in Hindu-majority belt
There are a total of 22 candidates, including a dozen independents, in the fray for the constituency
The Jammu Lok Sabha constituency, spanning three districts of Jammu, Samba and Reasi besides Kalakote assembly constituency of Rajouri district, predominantly a Hindu heartland, is all set to witness a straight contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress.
The constituency goes to the polls in the second phase on April 26.
There are a total of 22 candidates, including a dozen independents, in the fray for the constituency, which has 17,81,545 voters that include 9,21,462 males, 8,60,055 females and 28 trans-genders.
While National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), being members of the Congress-led INDIA bloc have not fielded their candidates, Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) and Syed Altaf Bukhari’s Apni Party have also stayed away from the contest citing their weak footing in the constituency.
However, political pundits see absence of DPAP and Apni Party from the fray as a clear attempt to support BJP candidate Jugal Kishore.
It may be stated here that the National Conference, PDP and Congress quite often accuse Azad’s DPAP, Bukhari’s Apni Party and Sajjad Lone’s People’s Conference of being the proxies for BJP in Jammu and Kashmir.
Panthers Party chief and former J&K education minister Harsh Dev Singh, National Conference
president Farooq Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders have extended support to the Congress.
Home minister Amit Shah, in his April 16 rally at Jammu’s Paloura, had also appealed to the people of Kashmir not to vote for the three “dynastic” parties -- NC, PDP and Congress because “they watched the interests of their own flesh and blood and not the public”.
With the jigsaw puzzle quite clear on the ground, a straight contest is being anticipated between BJP’s incumbent MP Jugal Kishore and Congress candidate Raman Bhalla.
The BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah have reiterated the overall development in J&K, especially after the revocation of Article 370 and the Ram Temple as focal points in their rallies woo the Hindu voters.
The issues in Jammu constituency remain more or less the same with people demanding better civic amenities, jobs, regularisation of over 60,000 daily wagers and impartial recruitment for jobs.
BJP focus remains on benefits arising out of abrogation of Article 370, revolutionary changes in Jammu and Kashmir and magnificent futuristic vision for it. In their campaigns, Congress leaders have been attacking the BJP over “unemployment, inflation, lack of civic amenities, high taxes and recruitment scams that frustrated the youth”.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief Vikar Rasool Wani said that akin to Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, the BJP will bite the dust on Jammu constituency as well, claiming that people want change this time.
“The BJP had been boasting about winning the seat of Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha but fearing humiliating defeat, they didn’t field their candidate.
Male 2019, 2014: 2009, 2004:
They would taste defeat in Jammu too,” he said.
Contesting candidate Raman Bhalla also exuded confidence about his win. “The power of people is bigger than anything in a democracy. They want to change the regime to save democracy and the Constitution,” said Bhalla.
J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina, however, said that the party candidate would emerge victorious for the third consecutive term.
“Overall development of Jammu and Kashmir since abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, reservation to marginalised sections of the society, justice to the women of J&K, massive infrastructure development and avenues of dignified livelihood to the youth are all in front of the people. They would vote for the party candidate in big numbers,” he said.
With political parties taking sidwes, the contest, in all probability, will be a kind of replica of 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, which witnessed direct contests between the BJP and the Congress.
Though for the first time, Ankur Sharma, a high court lawyer and president of the Ekam Bharat Sanatan Dal is also in the fray, he is unlikely to make a major dent.
A man behind repealing of the controversial Roshni Act (J&K State Land Vesting of Ownership to Occupants Act, 2001), he banks upon Hindu voters to propel his fortunes.
For Jugal Kishore, this will be his third consecutive electoral battle from the same constituency and second time against the same opponent Bhalla.
In 2019, Jugal had defeated the Congress candidate Raman Bhalla with a margin of 3,06,879 votes. Jugal Kishore Sharma had secured 8,58,066 votes against Congress candidate Raman Bhalla’s 5,51,187.
In 2014 he had a victory margin of 2.57 lakh votes against Congress’ Madan Lal Sharma.
Following delimitation, Jammu parliamentary constituency comprises 18 assembly constituencies which include 11 from Jammu; three from Samba and Reasi district each and one Rajouri’s Kalakote assembly constituency.
The administration has set-up 2,416 polling stations for the voters.
SCs/STs hold the sway
The Jammu Lok Sabha constituency accounts for the largest number of Scheduled Caste votes in any constituency in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Scheduled Caste population is 22.75% of total population of 2,283,876 persons in three districts as per 2011 census. Scheduled Tribe population is 9.24% Put together they comprise 32% and hold the sway.
Political observers feel SCs and STs could be the deciding factor.
Considered Congress citadel
The constituency has been considered as a Congress bastion. The grand old party won the constituency in 1962, 1967, 1971(Inderjit Malhotra), 1980 (Girdhari Lal Dogra), 1984, 1989 (Janak Raj Gupta), 1996 (Mangat Ram Sharma), 2004 and 2009 (Madan Lal Sharma).
BJP won it in1998 and 1999 (Vaid Vishnu Dutt Sharma), 2014 and 2019 (Jugal Kishore).
Thakur Baldev Singh won it as an independent in 1977 and Choudhary Talib Hussain of National Conference won it in 2002 by-elections.
1991 general elections were not held in Jammu and Kashmir due to militancy.