After PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi heading for Srinagar, Surankote

Amit Shah, Rajnath visiting Jammu on September 21

Srinagar: Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is scheduled to address a major election rally in Srinagar.
The News NOW learned from well-placed political sources that on 23 September, the last day of the campaigning for the Phase-2 polling in Central Kashmir, Rahul would be addressing a thick gathering of INDIA alliance followers at a public park or sports stadium in Srinagar.
Sources revealed that both, Congress and National Conference (NC) leaders, would mobilise big crowds for Rahul's audience. NC, Congress, CPM and the National Panthers Party (NPP) are contesting the Union Territory's first Assembly elections in a pre-poll alliance on all 90 seats.
According to sources, NC's top brass, including President Dr Farooq Abdullah and Vice president Omar Abdullah, besides CPM leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami would address the rally alongside the senior Congress leaders. This will be Rahul's first election rally in Srinagar. On 4 September, Rahul addressed his first election rally in Jammu and Kashmir at Dooru in Anantnag district.
Rahul is following senior BJP leader and Prime Minister Narendra Modi who addressed his first rally during the current Assembly elections in Kashmir on Thursday. Later, Modi addressed another election rally at Katra in Jammu.
After Srinagar, Rahul is scheduled to address another election rally for the alliance candidates at Surankote, in Poonch, Jammu.
Early this month, Modi addressed his first election rally in Jammu and Kashmir at Doda (Jammu) on 14 September. It was for the first time in the last 42 years that an Indian Prime Minister held a rally at Doda.
In August, Rahul alongwith the party President Malikarjun Kharge visited Srinagar and they addressed a workers convention. They stitched the party's first pre-poll alliance with NC after 1986 when Congress installed Dr Farooq Abdullah as Chief Minister and the two parties contested the Assembly elections of March 1987 together. They formed a coalition government with the additional support of the Valley's senior cleric-politician Mirwaiz Maulvi Mohammad Farooq which ended on 19 January 1990 when Dr Abdullah resigned in protest over Jagmohan's appointment as Governor of Jammu and Kashmir by VP Singh's government at the Centre.
Years later, in 2008, NC and Congress formed a post-poll coalition with Omar Abdullah as its Chief Minister. It ended with the Assembly elections in November 2014.
Meanwhile, head of the 2nd and 3rd phase of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are visiting Jammu region once again on September 21 to garner support for the party candidates.
The senior BJP leaders, are scheduled to arrive in Jammu between September 20 and 21 to address election rallies.
Rajnath Singh, according to sources, will address rallies in Sundarbani, RS Pora and Poonch. Former BJP President and Union Minister J.P Nadda will hold a road show in Jammu East.
Over 23 lakh voters will decide the fate of 219 candidates, including 90 Independents, who are running for 24 assembly segments in the first phase.
The other two phases are scheduled to be held on September 25 and October 1, while the counting of the votes will take place on October 8.

Updated On 9/20/2024 1:26:13 AM