Jammu, November 24
Even as various political parties are promising jobs and various schemes to woo
the massive number of unemployed youth here, the unemployed lot is aware of
ground reality.

Talking to The Tribune, Progressive Students Association president Rahul said, “The successive state governments have done nothing to fill up the vacant posts in various government departments and institutions till now. The government has been simply fulfilling its own requirement for staff, which anyway it has to do. However, they have failed to generate new employment opportunities for the rapidly growing number of educated unemployed youngsters in the state. The need of the hour is to open new vistas of employment for the youth.”

Padam Dev Singh, an unemployed from Reasi district, said: “We had voted for the Congress during the last elections, but it failed to deliver. Now, we would vote for change and see whether the other parties could come up to our expectations.” “The political parties make tall claims during the elections, but once voted to power, they forget their promises,” he added.

The indifferent attitude of the state administration towards the unemployed youths could be gauged from the fact that the Unemployed Engineers Association has been staging dharna outside the divisional commissioner’s office for the last over 600 days, yet what these jobless engineers have got are hollow assurances.

“We have been duped time and time again by the same political parties which are now promising stipend and thousands of jobs for the youngsters. The then Congress minister, Mangat Ram Sharma, had promised to absorb us under the Rehber-e-Tamirat Scheme in 2007, but that too didn’t materialise during the previous Congress-PDP regime,” rued Arjun Singh Chib, president of the association.

Braving vagaries of weather, the association’s activists had been staging a dharna for the last 20 months, but all their pleas seemed to have fallen on deaf ears, he said. He warned that if none of the political parties came forward to address the issue prior to the polling day, the association's 6,000 registered members and their families would boycott the elections.

Jammu, November 24
Backed by thousands of supporters, Congress MP from Udhampur-Doda Lal Singh and Congress rebel Babu Singh filed nomination papers from the Kathua seat today.

Talking to The Tribune after filing his papers, Lal Singh said he would contest the elections on the plank of development and the rebel factor would not have any impact on his winning prospects.

“I am confident that people will give the Congress another chance so as to enable it to resume the all-round development of the state,” he said.

On the other hand, former power minister and Congress rebel Babu Singh put up a show of strength at Ram Lila Ground before filing his nomination papers as an independent candidate.

Addressing the gathering, Babu Singh vowed to work for overall development of the Kathua constituency and the state.

Apparently taking a dig at his rivals, Babu Singh said, “The corrupt leaders, who have gathered huge wealth and property, are always misguiding people and society for their petty interests. However, they cannot befool people this time, as today's mammoth gathering in the rally has given a clear message to such leaders and parties who believe in policy of patronising family members in the politics.” He warned that the people of Kathua would give a befitting reply to those leaders who were “planning to rig the elections, using muscle power.”

Jammu, November 24
In the wake of first and second phase polling trends, senior BJP leader and party nominee from Jammu west, Chaman Lal Gupta, today said it was premature to say anything, but the trend had certainly signalled outright rejection of separatists’ boycott call.

He observed that though it was early to comment at the polling trends, but turnout in first two phases indicated a clear rejection of the boycott calls of the secessionists and pro-Pak elements in Kashmir.

Addressing a meeting in Jammu west assembly constituency here today, he said the good turnout was also a slap on the face of those, who were trying hard to get the elections postponed because of their own weaknesses.

The heavy turnout of voters also reflected people’s anger against poor performance of the Congress-PDP coalition and their allies and on this pattern of voting one can easily predict that the partners of the erstwhile coalition government, especially the Congress and its ministers would fall flat, he said.

Gupta added that electorates appear to be determined to teach a lesson to those who made false promises.

He said Azad-led dispensation was not only incompetent, but had also bowed to pressure tactics of the anti-national elements during the Amarnath land row.

The role of Jammu ministers in this episode was “highly criminal”, he claimed. Gupta strongly castigated the Congress and alleged that chaotic conditions were created and there were no norms of settling issues.

In the name of regularising colonies different yardsticks were adopted and the poor inhabitants of Janipur and other areas are being put to problems by demanding compensation of the land at very high rates, he said.

Ghulam Nabi Azad betrayed ad hoc employees and daily wagers, to whom he had assured that their services would be regularised, said the BJP leader, adding that the Azad’s government was “not only irresponsive but also inhumane”.

In this regard he pointed out that the salaries of the ministers and legislators were increased from Rs 12,000 per month to over Rs 43,000 per month, but no increase was made in the wages of workers, who are still being paid Rs 70 a day, same paltry amount which they had been getting three years ago.

Gupta also charged the Congress and the National Conference for being responsible for the neglect of Jammu in various spheres of life and pointed out that Jammu region has been given lesser representation in the Lok Sabha assembly despite having bigger population and area than Kashmir.

He appealed to the workers to educate the people that elections provide them the opportunity to punish those parties and leaders who were responsible for their sufferings and miseries.

Udhampur, November 24
After the completion of the second phase of the poll in Jammu region, all attention is now being focused on Udhampur and Reasi districts that will go to poll in the fourth phase of Assembly elections on December 7.

There is not assembly segment that will form a part of the polling process during its third phase on November 30 in the Jammu division. The next phase here will test the political fortunes of four former ministers.

The Udhampur and Reasi districts comprise of six assembly segments, three in each district. These are Udhampur, Ramnagar and Chenani in the former, while the latter has Reasi, Gulabgarh and Gool-Arnas.

Interestingly, other than the national political parties, the Panthers Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, too, have considerable stakes in the region. During the past assembly elections, the Panthers Party had won three out of the six seats in these two districts.

Elections in these two districts are expected to be contested on the issue of development and the Amarnath land row. The BJP, which is expecting to cash in on the latter, is yet to make any significant dent in Udhampur district. Incidentally, Udhampur district was once considered to be a strong BJP hold, but this time rather than benefiting from the Amarnath row, the party has failed to make any significant impact on the voters yet. Though, the BJP has put up candidates on all six seats.

It may be mentioned that all six sitting legislators in the past assembly are again in the fray. These include Harshdev Singh (Panthers Party) from Ramnangar, Balwant Singh Mankotia (Panthers Party) from Udhampur, Faquir Nath (Panthers Party) from Chenani, Jugal Kishore Sharma (Congress) from Reasi, Aijaz Ahmed Khan (Congress) from Gool-Arnas and Abdul Gani Malik (National Conference) from Gulabgarh.

The above include three former ministers, namely Sharma, Singh and Khan, who were part of the last government. Another former minister Jagjivan Lal is in the fray from Reasi on the National Conference ticket.

The first three are facing anti-incumbency factor due to poor development in their respective constituencies. On the other hand, Mankotia and Harshdev Singh are considered to be in formidable positions in their constituencies on account of interaction with people and developmental activities in their constituencies despite being in the Opposition.

Though, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is contesting all six seats, but it is considered to have the best hope in Ramnagar, where the party has fielded a upper caste Brahmin to take on the sitting MLA.

Political activity in the region is expected to heat up over the coming days as the political parties are hoping to bring in national leaders to boost the win ability of their candidates keeping in mind the possibility of no clear majority for any party.

Udhampur, November 24
To acquaint the candidates of different political parties and others who are in the fray to contest the assembly elections with various provisions of model code of conduct, the District Election Officer (DEO), Udhampur, Ajay Khajuria convened a meeting with the contesting candidates and their representatives, here today.

The Election Observer for Udhampur and Chenani constituency, Rajiv Omkar Nath Jalota and observer for Ramnagar constituency, Ashok Kumar Shah, SSP Udhampur, Surinder Gupta, Chief Planning Officer, Rakesh Jamwal, Returning Officers for Ramnagar and Chenani, assistant commissioner, revenue and tehsildars were present in the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, the district election officer urged the political parties and other contesting candidates to give due cognisance to the provisions of model code of conduct.

If there is any complaint against any candidate found flouting the guidelines of Election Commission of India, the latter would have to face strict action. He asked the candidates to approach him in case of any election-related problem.

The meeting also discussed election-related issues like distribution of voter lists, prescribed ceiling of expenditure by a candidate, maintenance of proper account of expenditure, prior permission from concerning Returning Officers regarding use of vehicles for announcements and canvassing, restrictions during canvassing, randomisation of EVMs, pasting of permission letter on permitted vehicles, defacement of public property, advertisement on Radio and TV and ferrying of voters on polling day.

The DEO further informed the members that voter lists have been prepared and made available to contesting candidates of different political parties. The Independent candidates in the fray have to bring the voter lists from Jammu Election Office as per the guidelines of the ECI.

The maximum ceiling of expenditure by a contesting candidate is Rs 5 lakh which should be maintained properly on a daily basis and show it to Returning Officers concerned after three days from the date of election notification till the declaration of the result.

Khajuria asked the contesting candidates not to deface the public property including parapets, walls and other structures which was in contravention of the instructions of the ECI. They were advised to remove them immediately, failing which the same would be removed by the DEO or Returning Officers concerned and the cost of removal of such defacements would be debited to the Election account of the concerned candidates.

Regarding advertisements on Radio/TV/ Cable networks, they have to seek prior permission from the committee constituted by the Chief Electoral Officer, Jammu, before being telecast.

The candidates in the fray are also not permitted to woo voters on religious or caste factors. The Election Observer for Udhampur and Chenani, Mr. Jalota and for Ramnagar, Mr. Shah also spoke on the occasion.

Ramnagar (Udhampur), November 24
For those who think development is possible in Jammu and Kashmir without undertaking the delimitation process, there is a need for a re-think.

Physical boundaries of constituencies, especially in the Jammu division, south of Banihal, are so confusing not only for an outsider, but local politicians too, forcing them to ask locals if they are candidates from there or elsewhere.

The problem has become even more complex after carving out of new districts from the existing ones during the term of the last government.

A drive from Jammu to Udhampur via the Dhar road leads through seven constituencies, three each in Jammu and Udhampur districts and one of Samba district. Some constituencies are so close that they merge and separate several times in a short stretch of a few kilometres.

It is interesting to see that the Archaeological Survey-protected monument and ancient temple of Dera Babour at Manwal dating back to the 10th century has one part in the Ramnagar assembly segment in Udhampur district and second part in Nagrota segment of Jammu district.

Just a few minutes north of Manwal, the small township of Roundmail too is divided in two constituencies.

Going towards Udhampur, the left part of the township falls in the Ramnangar and right side in Chenani. Further, a few kilometres to the right, the constituency again changes to Ramnagar. Barely two kilometres further towards east, there is Khunullah village with 400 families which falls under the Udhampur assembly seat.

All constituencies are vast and unmarked. The Nagrota assembly seat in Jammu district for example starts from Rabta village near Akhnoor, west of Jammu to Manwal, about 70 km east of Jammu.

The Shiraj belt in the Ramban assembly segment actually falls in Doda district. As a result, all developmental activities come to a halt with lack of co-ordination between the legislators and the district administration.

With the filling up of the water reservoir of the Baglihar Hydro Electric Project, the entire power infrastructure has submerged in water rendering the area without electricity for the past two months.

There are at least half a dozen villages in the Tikri area where the people are themselves not sure if they form part of the Reasi or Udhampur districts.

In Jammu city, half of the Sanik Colony on the Pathankot road falls in the Samba assembly segment, despite the fact that the entire Sanik Colony is part of the Jammu Municipal Corporation.

Srinagar, November 24
As a large number of the fairer sex contests the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir this time, people are waiting to see if a 36-year-old record for the highest number of women in the Assembly will be broken.

It was in 1972 that four women were elected to the legislature still remains the highest figure for women MLAs in the state.

Zainab Begum, Hajra Begum, Shanta Bharti and Nirmala Devi made it to the Assembly then, while four other female contestants - Khem Lata Wakhloo, Amina Begum, Hassan Ara Begum and Misra Bano - lost their security deposits after getting very few votes.

All women were elected on the Congress tickets. This year a large number of women are in the fray in the state and it remains to be seen whether the 36-year-old record will be broken or whether they would have to wait for the next elections.

As many as 10 women candidates are in the fray in the first three phases of elections and a large number are expected to contest in the remaining phases.

While some political observers say the boycott of polls by the National Conference in the last polls helped Congress candidates across the state to win, others negate this claim on the ground that most National Conference leaders took part in elections as Independent candidates.

However, after 1972, it has been downhill for women as their numbers only declined. In the 1977 elections, there were only two women candidates, of whom one was elected to the legislature.

Six years hence, only two women candidates were there and both lost. In 1987 elections, seven women contested elections from eight seats, but only one was elected to the Assembly.

When Assembly elections were held in the state after a gap of nine years due to militancy, 10 women candidates jumped into the fray out of which only two were successful.

The landmark 2002 Assembly elections witnessed the highest number of female candidates at that time, with 27 women contesting polls, but the rate of success was again a dismal of two MLAs.

Although, Kanta Andotra replaced her husband Lal Singh in the Assembly, following the by-polls in 2004, the number of women MLAs did not increase as Mehbooba Mufti also resigned from her seat after she was elected to the Lok Sabha. — PTI

Srinagar, November 24
Buoyed by good turn out in two round of polls in Kashmir, CPM today took out a road show in south Kashmir, which will go to polls in later rounds, and appealed to people to vote for its candidates.

While addressing people during a road show from Hanjan in Kulgam district via Wachi in Shopian, party's state secretary MY Tarigami said most of the areas comprising the district of Shopian have been neglected for too long.

The poor condition of roads and bridges, inadequate road connectivity, absence of proper healthcare facilities, lack of educational infrastructure, unemployment of educated youth, frequent breakdown of electricity, lack of safe drinking water facility and non-availability of essential commodities like ration and kerosene oil at government-run ration depots across the district are a witness to the hollowness of claims of development of the area by the erstwhile governments, he said.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti is fighting from Wachi constituency. While inviting attention of the government to the various problems faced by the entire area, Tarigami said his party would work for the overall development of the area.

"The area is the hub of horticulture produce. It shall be the endeavour of our party to work towards the upgradation of fruit mandis and create sufficient storage facility. We shall ensure that the horticulture sector receives the attention and the care it deserves".

Tarigami told the good number of people who came to listen to him that the area encompasses enormous tourism potential and their party would work to develop the area, particularly Nandan Sar, Kounsar Nag, Dabijan besides Aharbal as tourist destinations. Mohmmad Khalil Naik and Mohammad Abdullah Wani, the party candidates for Wachi and Shopian respectively, also spoke on this occasion.

Srinagar, November 24
The Election Commission today revised its poll percentage figures for second phase elections in the state yesterday to 67 per cent, a slight increase from its earlier figures which were tentative.

Kangan saw a turn-out of 59.35 per cent against 52.03 in 2002 while polling percentage in Ganderbal went up to 51.97 from 35.02 in 2002.

Nowshera saw 73.60 per cent participation against 57.84, Darhal 76.64 against 46.61, Rajouri 70.16 against 27.0 and Kalakote 69.53 against 48.66 per cent.

Rajouri, November 24
They stand at an age where development does not make difference to them, but yesterday on the polling day for four assembly segments in Rajouri district, a good number of elderly people voted with a hope that the representative they elect will work for welfare of their future generations and takes care of development issues.

“Though we didn’t see development activities taking place in our area, we continued to fulfill our duty of voting. It used to be more of a ritual for us,” 105-year-old Hummi Begum of Haya said at Buddhal area after casting her vote.

“The candidates have realised that voters are aware of their rights and if they do not perform their duties, they will not be elected again,” she said.

Hummi said though she might not survive till next elections, she had voted with a hope that the new representative would bring development in their area and serve her coming generations in a better way.

Hummi doesn’t stand alone with this hope. 100-year-old Siaffal Muhammad of Thanamang in Darhal also hopes that things will change after the elections and the representative they elect will work for the welfare of his coming generations.

“I have voted about a dozen times, but things remained the same after the elections. The candidates come to us before elections for votes and after winning, they disappear. Our areas didn’t see development and even lacked basic civic amenities. We lived our life like that without seeing any change,” Siafull said.

Thousands of elderly voters in queues across the polling stations in four assembly constituencies of Rajouri district, which is one of the most backward and underdeveloped district in the state, said they were voting with a hope of a better future for coming generation in developed environment with proper basic amenities.

Jammu, November 24
Even as the two phases of the seven-phased Assembly elections in the state passed without any major problems, but discrepancies in the hurriedly compiled voter lists galore.

The official language of the state being Urdu is not completely comprehended by residents and government employees in Jammu. And this very fact has become responsible for various mistakes in the voter list.

This time, the state election authorities had published the electoral roll in three languages - Urdu, English and for some constituencies, including Jammu, Kathua and Udhampur, in Hindi - but the discrepancies in the voter list has landed many voters in a problem.

“If you have a glimpse on the voter list, you would find so many mistakes; they have not only misspelled the names, but have changed the gender of the voters,” Parvez Ahmed, a voter from Gandhi Nagar said. He said: “I have two sons who are eligible to vote, but they have entered three sons.”

Speaking to The Tribune, chief electoral officer B.R. Sharma said: “When you have to compile data of more than 65 lakh people, add new ones in lakhs and also omit in lakhs, discrepancies cannot be ruled out. People should come to us with their proofs and we would make the appropriate changes.”

Though the two phases of the elections have passed on with unprecedented poll percentage, the electoral authorities have so far not initiated the process of distribution of the new electoral photo identity cards to the voters.

Sharma said, the process of making new cards was going on and EPICs would be distributed in the constituencies that would be going for the assembly elections in the coming days.

Baramulla, November 24
Life remained crippled due to a strike in the town and its adjoining areas and Sopore for the third consecutive day today in protest against the alleged atrocities by security forces.

Official sources said the security forces burst teargas shells and resorted to repeated lathicharge to disperse demonstrators raising separatist and anti-poll demonstrations in the township of Sopore today.

The trouble in Sopore started when hundreds of people came to the streets protesting against the killing of two youths in Baramulla and other atrocities allegedly by the security forces on Friday evening.

As the demonstrators were moving towards the main town, the security forces and the police personnel, deployed in strength, resorted to lathicharge to disperse them.

Security forces also burst teargas shells when the demonstrators pelted stones. The agitators were demanding immediate action against those involved in the killing of two youths and release of all arrested during the anti-poll demonstrations in north Kashmir areas.

Shops and business establishments in Sopore town and adjoining areas remained closed and traffic was off the road, though there was no strike call from any organisation. Work in government offices, public sector undertaking and other commercial establishments was also affected.

The authorities have already ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. The town was put under undeclared curfew on Saturday and Sunday by the authorities as a precautionary measure. — UNI

Srinagar, November 24
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti escaped unhurt when anti-election protesters stoned her motorcade while she was returning after filing nomination papers, in Pulwama town here today.

Mehbooba will be contesting from Wacchi constituency in Shopian district. Her motorcade was stoned while she was returning to participate in an election rally after filing papers before the returning officer at the district headquarters, official sources said.

A few stones hit the vehicle carrying the PDP president, but she escaped unhurt. Security forces, escorting her, moved into the area and chased the protesters away by resorting to lathicharge and firing tear gas shells.

Though authorities said none was injured in lathicharge, locals alleged that several persons were wounded.

Today was the last date for filing of nominations in Wacchi constituency which, along with 10 other constituencies of Pulwama, Shopian and Kathua districts, is going to polls in the fifth phase of elections on December 13.

This is the second time within three days that Mehbooba had to face the ire of the anti-election protesters. On Saturday, she had a narrow escape when her motorcade was attacked by protesters in Baramulla town.

One vehicle was set ablaze, while windscreens of two others of her motorcade were smashed. — PTI