In the second phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections held on Wednesday, over 56% of voters cast their votes in 26 constituencies. Enthusiastic voters formed long queues at many places.
The highest voter turnout was at the hotly contested Vaishno Devi seat, where 79.95% of voters exercised their franchise. This newly formed seat came into existence post the latest delimitation. BJP put in a tremendous effort, with PM Modi himself campaigning at Katra for this seat.
PM Modi Held a Roadshow
On September 19, PM Modi held a two-kilometer-long roadshow in Katra. He said, "This place (Jammu and Kashmir) needs a government that respects our faith and promotes our culture."
PM Modi's devotion to the Vaishno Devi temple is well-known. In 2014, after BJP announced him as their Prime Ministerial candidate, he prayed at the temple before starting his Lok Sabha campaign. The significance has doubled since the 2022 delimitation, creating a separate Vaishno Devi assembly seat apart from the Reasi and Udhampur constituencies.
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After Losses in Ayodhya and Badrinath, Eyes are on Vaishno Devi Seat
Recently, BJP lost the Faizabad (Ayodhya) seat in UP Lok Sabha elections and failed to win the Badrinath seat in Uttarakhand by-elections. These losses got the opposition to heavily criticize BJP. Now, the Vaishno Devi seat has become a matter of prestige for BJP, and the party has spared no effort in campaigning.
BJP Changed Its Candidate Here
However, the road ahead is not easy for BJP, with candidate Baldev Raj Sharma, a former Reasi MLA, facing many challenges. He is contesting against seven candidates, including Congress's Bhupendra Singh.
The challenge for BJP has increased because they changed their candidate for this seat. Initially, Rohit Dubey was the candidate, but later he was replaced by Baldev Sharma. This led to Dubey's supporters expressing their displeasure on the streets.
Source: aajtak
After casting his vote, BJP candidate Baldev Raj Sharma shows the indelible ink mark
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Baridar Community Presented Their Candidate
According to the Indian Express, the former caretakers of the Vaishno Devi temple, the Baridar community, could pose a significant problem for BJP in this seat. Previously BJP supporters, the community has fielded their candidate, Sham Singh, this time. If Sham Singh gets 14,000 votes from the community, BJP could face a substantial loss.
Generations of Baridars have been performing Aarti at the Vaishno Devi temple, and they demand the restoration of their full prayer rights and reservation for their family members in Shrine Board jobs. Community members accuse BJP of betrayal for failing to find a permanent solution to their problems.
Congress and Independents Add to BJP's Troubles
Congress candidate Bhupendra Singh is a strong contender against BJP's Baldev Sharma. Singh has previously chaired the union of pony owners and porters working between Katra and Vaishno Devi temple. Sharma hopes to gain support from the approximately 9,000 Muslim voters in the constituency.
Former minister Jugal Kishore, who left Congress to join Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party, is contesting as an independent. Kishore received considerable support during his campaign. It will be intriguing to see who the people choose to represent them in this holy town.
