SRINAGAR: The poll-related hustle and bustle is missing as campaigning for the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu nears an end and contesting candidates are switching to door to door campaigning.
The Jammu seat in J&K spread over four districts – Jammu, Samba, Reasi and a lone Assembly constituency from Rajouri – will go to the polls in the second phase of polling on April 26.
About 22 candidates including BJP’s two-time sitting MP Jugal Kishore and J&K Congress Working president Raman Bhalla are in the fray.
Home Minister Amit Shah and Anurag Thakur have campaigned for Jugal Kishore while senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot and Raj Babbar campaigned for Bhalla. Barring the campaigning by these leaders, both the BJP and Congress candidates have been left to fend for themselves as the star campaigners stayed away from Jammu.
The contestants instead of holding bigger election rallies are focusing on small corner meetings and door-to-door campaigns to garner support.
In the absence of big election rallies, big hoardings and posters of contesting candidates and parties are missing in Jammu. Only the occasional vehicles fitted with small public address systems pass by to announce the poll agenda of the candidate.
On the final day of campaigning today, the BJP and Congress candidates will be holding roadshows to garner public support.
“There is near total silence. There is very little poll-related noise this time. It seems as if polls are not taking place. In the past there always used to be poll hustle and bustle many days before the polls. But this time around there is a lacklustre poll campaign,” said a Jammu resident, Chaman Lal, a driver by profession.
A shopkeeper Jai Prakash agrees with Lal saying this is the first time in the past few decades that Jammu is not witnessing a high-profile campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.
He said this is also because people are not showing much interest in the polls because of their economic activities.
“The business is down and people are more concerned about their livelihood rather than attending the poll events of the contesting candidates,” said Prakash.
With the poll campaign nearing its end, the contestants are now focusing on social media and door-to-door campaigns to put forth their point of view to gain voters' confidence.
BJP candidate Jugal Kishore said the poll campaign this year has been lacklustre because of measures taken by the Election Commission.
“The contesting candidates are not being allowed to move in huge convoys as they will have to face the wrath of the Election Commission. Besides, the polls and banners being erected by the parties are being removed by the EC officials,” he said.
He said this has forced parties and contestants to go for low-key poll campaigning.
A total of 17,80,738 voters including 9,21,053 male voters and 8,59,657 female voters are eligible to vote. About 2,416 polling stations have been set up across the constituency.
