High-stake battle in last phase of j&k assembly polls

SRINAGAR: The third and final phase of the polls for 40 Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir on October 1 holds great significance for the main contenders, NC, Congress, BJP, and AIP

of Er Rashid, who won the LS polls from Baramulla seat despite being incarcerated in Tihar jail. The phase will be a deciding factor for the government formation in J&K after first

Assembly polls post Article 370 abrogation. Of the 40 seats going to the polls, 24 are in the Jammu region, including Jammu, Udhampur, Samba and Kathua, while 16 are in the Valley, including

Baramulla, Kupwara, and Bandipora. Jammu region has remained the stronghold of the BJP, which won all its 25 seats in 2014 Assembly polls. The party won both Lok Sabha seats in the Jammu

region, but its vote share declined by 5%-10%. A total of 415 candidates, including 190 in Kashmir, are in the fray for the 40 seats in J&K. The BJP is using its star campaigners for the

campaigning in all important phase. PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP chief J P Nadda, and several union ministers will campaign for the

candidates in the final phase. The PM would address a rally in Jammu on Saturday, while the Home Minister has addressed a series of poll rallies. Rajnath will also address poll rallies in

Jammu and will address more in the border areas of Gurez and Karnah in north Kashmir.