Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 18: High voltage campaigning for the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat ended on Wednesday but Peoples’ Democratic Party candidate Mehbooba Mufti was conspicuously absent during the canvassing for Congress candidate Choudhary Lal Singh.
Even as Mehbooba Mufti has announced not to field candidates on the two Lok Sabha seats of Jammu province to avert division of “secular votes”, Congress leadership is still hesitating to involve PDP leaders in the ongoing campaign, fearing a backlash among voters in plains of Jammu division.
“People of Jammu region have not taken well the recent controversial statements of top PDP leadership so involving PDP leaders in our campaign in Jammu majority areas would be proved counter-productive”, a senior Congress leader, wishing anonymity told the Early Times. He said the party leadership was in dilemma over directly involving PDP leaders in the electioneering.
“To restore its lost ground in Kashmir Valley, the top leadership of PDP is all out to appease separatists by giving highly provocative statements so involving PDP leaders in the campaign would provide an opportunity to the BJP to exploit the situation”, he said and added that PDP has only decided not to field candidates on Jammu province.
While filing nomination papers, Congress candidate Even as Mehbooba announced that PDP won't field candidates on two Jammu LS seats , Cong didn't involve PDP in the ongoing campaign.
Some Cong leaders believe that involving PDP leaders in the campaign could prove counter-productive.
Cong candidates took NC leaders with them but they avoided involving PDP leaders.
Congress leadership has realized that PDP's presence is almost negligible in Udhampur-Doda constituency.
Interestingly, the top leadership of the National Conference including Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah aggressively campaigned for Choudhary Lal Singh but the Congress leadership avoided taking PDP with them.
Secondly, Congress leadership has realized that the presence of the PDP is almost negligible in eight assembly constituencies that fall under the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat.
The last time PDP fielded its candidates on two seats in Jammu province was in 2014.
Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha constituency is going to witness a contest between BJP candidate Jugal Kishore Sharma and Congress nominee Raman Bhalla after PDP announced not to field its candidates in both Parliamentary constituencies of Jammu division.
In 2014 Lok Sabha elections PDP candidate Yash Pal Sharma had secured 1,68,554 votes on Jammu-Poonch seat while party nominee on Udhampur-Doda seat Mohammad Arshad Malik got 30, 461 votes.
After National Conference had sealed seat sharing pact with Congress on three out of total six Lok Sabha seats of Jammu province, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had also announced not to field any candidates on two Lok Sabha seats of Jammu province to facilitate the victory of Congress candidates. | 