Congress gearing up to ‘canvass’ in support of NC…!

Activities more in Raj-Poonch, will Congvote get translated to NC in Kashmir…?

Jammu: Notwithstanding postponement of polls for Anantnag-Rajouri seat, Congress is gearing up to organize public meetings and rallies in various segments in support of National Conference candidate. The campaign, albeit looks restricted to segments in Rajouri –Poonch and it is only at the level of JKPCC leadership as no party leaders from outside are scheduled to come as of now.
In keeping with its commitment of ‘support’, National Conference high command whole heartedly canvassed for Congress in order to get its traditional vote ‘transferred’ to party candidate on Udhampur seat. To reciprocate it, Congress has now geared up to show it up in segments of Rajouri-Poonch for NC candidate on Anantnag seat. In Kashmir Valley, even as Congress has clout in some segments, party leaders are not visible, though a joint poll rally is scheduled for tomorrow where leaders of Congress will share stage with NC leaders at Dooru in Anantnag district.
For Udhampur seat, both Farooq Abdullah and Omar held separate rallies in some places where the party has its traditional vote bank and are still considered to be NC bastions. Though it is also a fact that neither father nor son shared stage with Congress candidate Choudhary Lal Singh, they held separate rallies apparently to extend support to Congress. Both vehemently tried to convince NC’s die hard supporters to get the vote translated in favour of Congress, said a senior NC leader adding that it becomes very difficult to ask rustic and staunch party supporters to cast votes to some other party candidate.
The party leader explained on the similar analogy, it is very difficult for Congress to get its traditional vote translated in favour of NC candidate in Kashmir segments. Congress leaders may try very hard to ask their supporters to divert votes to NC, this is unlikely to happen for just more than one reason. The voters at the ground level have their traditional loyalties with respective leaders, be that of Congress, NC or PDP.
Moreover, for many elections in the past, much before PDP came into existence, both NC and Congress have fought elections as rival parties, he said, adding that it is because of this factor NC too is hesitant to take Congress leaders from Kashmir on board. However, the JKPCC leadership has geared up for the task in Rajouri-Poonch where senior leader Ravinder Sharma has already begun meetings and PCC chief Vikar Rasool is scheduled to address a rally tomorrow in support of Mian Altaf at Thana Mandi and other places.
Even though Congress was initially in dilemma which party to support since both PDP and NC are constituents of alliance, but lately they make it clear that it was the NC for which it would canvass on Kashmir seats.

Updated On 5/1/2024 12:46:43 AM