With PDP out, uphill task for BJP to repeat ‘14 performance, Congress looking to gain

Out of 37 assembly segments in region, BJP led in 24, Cong 11

JAMMU: With People’s Democratic Party (PDP) deciding not to contest both Lok Sabha seats of Jammu region, and National Conference (NC) and Congress coming together to back the former’s candidates , the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) may find it hard this time to repeat its performance of 2014 Parliamentary elections when it won both seats of the region i.e Jammu-Poonch and Kathua-Udhampur-Doda seat with considerable margins.

The PDP has a considerable vote share in Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat. It also has some pockets of its influence in Kathua-Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary seat, especially in Chenab valley.

The results of both these seats, to a large extent, will depend upon as to which way the PDP’s voters vote. The results will also depend upon that whether NC’s votes are shifted to Congress completely or not.

In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the PDP contested both seats of Jammu region. The PDP candidate Yashpal Sharma finished third in Jammu-Poonch Parliamentary constituencyby securing 1,68,554 votes in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

In 2014, Jammu-Poonch seat was won by Jugal Kishore Sharma of the BJP by a considerable margin of 2,57,280 votes wresting the seat from the Congress. Jugal polled 6,19,995 votes, while Congress candidate Madan Lal Sharma got only 3,62,715 votes in 2014 elections. The PDP candidate Yashpal Sharma finished third with 1,68,554 votes.

The BJP also won Kathua-Udhampur-Doda seat in 2014. Union minister Dr Dr Jitendera Singh defeated former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad by a margin of 60,976 votes. Dr Singh polled 4,87,369 votes while Azad secured 4,26,393 votes.

The PDP also has its vote share in Kathua-Udhampur-Doda seat where its candidate Mohammad Arshad Malik secured 30,461 votes in 2014 Parliamentary elections.

So in both the seats of Jammu region, PDP’s votes hold key in deciding victory and defeat.

The PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, a couple of days backs, had said that PDP will not contest 2 seats of Jammu region “so that secular vote is not divided”.

“The BJP has devised its election strategy keeping in mind the PDP votes in both the seats of Jammu region by involving panchs and sarpanchs of the pockets where PDP and the NC have their vote share,” former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta told The News Now.

There are 37 Assembly segments in both Lok Sabha seats of Jammu region. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had leads in 24 segments (15 in Jammu-Poonch seat and nine in Kathua-Udhampur-Doda seat).
The Congress could gain leads only in 11 segments (eight in Udhampur seat and three in Jammu constituency). The PDP had leads in 2 assembly seats (both in Jammu-Poonch).

In 2014, the Congress fared badly even in the Assembly segments held by prominent Congress Ministers including Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand (Chhamb), Sham Lal Sharma (Akhnoor), Raman Bhalla (Gandhi Nagar), Rigzin Jora (Leh) and Dr Manohar Lal Sharma (Billawar).

However, it was in Doda, Kishtwar, Banihal and Reasi districts that NC-Congress ministers managed to secure leads for Azad in their segments.

The NC has its pockets of influence in many Assembly segments in two Lok Sabha seats of Jammu region.
The NC has sizable influence in Kishtwar, Doda, Rajouri, Poonch, Bhaderwah, Darhal, Gool-Gulabgarh, Nagrota, Bishnah, Bannihal and some other areas.

Updated On 3/26/2019 11:08:11 AM