Rahul Gandhi joins Farooq Abdullah for the final day of campaigning in 2nd phase of J&K assembly elections

On the last day of the campaigning for the second phase of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, mega rallies were held by the top leadership of multiple political parties. Leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi, was in Surankote area of Poonch District and later in Srinagar to address a mega rally.

The second phase of assembly elections is to be held on September 25, with 239 candidates in the final fray for 26 assembly constituencies. Rahul Gandhi was accompanied by National Conference Patron Farooq Abdullah in the Poonch district. Rahul, while addressing the rally in Poonch said ''BJP and RSS people in Jammu and Kashmir and other states are spreading hatred. BJP does not know anything but spread hatred and their politics also is about hatred only. This hatred can only be defeated with love. On one side there are people who spread hatred and on the other side are those who spread love.''

Rahul added that '' You must have seen Narendra Modi, it’s very clear that he is not the same as he used to be. And whatever opposition wants to do we get it done. We always stand in front of them to stop them from bringing new laws. We have broken the psychology of Narendra Modi. Modi even said that he is not biological and he has a direct connection with God. It was evident that he was under pressure. The India Alliance has finished him psychologically. And we have done it with love.''

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Rahul also spoke about the return of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. ''It has been multiple times that UT’s were converted to states, but it’s for the first time that a state was converted into UT. The basic right of people here was taken away as people were told that you no longer will remain a state but a UT. Our first demand would be to get statehood. We will pressure them to do so. If they don’t do it then we will make sure to do it.''

Meanwhile Rahul in Srinagar said that if people vote them to Power, they will provide locals with 25 lac worth health insurance cover and also 11 kgs rice to be given to every family of the Union Territory. Hundreds of people had come to attend the rally in Srinagar as multiple rallies were held in various districts of Kashmir and Jammu on the last day of campaigning for the second phase.

''We were extremely happy that Rahul Gandhi had come to our area, I am sure whatever he promised he would fulfill them. He doesn't run the government right now but we have faith in him. There have been so many problems with no representatives from the last ten years and we have no one to go to. Issues with regard to electricity and roads are always there and that's why we want to have an elected government, '' said Abdul Khaliq, Local.

On September 19, PM Narendra Modi addressed a mega rally in Srinagar to show support to the candidates from the BJP who are contesting in the second phase of assembly elections. PM Modi had taken a dig at the three families including Gandhi's, Abdullah's and Mufti's. He had said that it is these families who have ruined Jammu and Kashmir and since the abrogation of article 370, it has been on the road to progress.

''Do you remember what they did in the 1980s? They treated Jammu and Kashmir's politics as their own fiefdom. They did not want anyone except their families to come forward? Otherwise, why did they stop the Panchayat, DDC and BDC elections? "They knew it would bring new faces who would challenge their family rule. What was the damage as a result of their selfishness? The youth kept losing faith in democracy. They felt whether they vote or not, only these three families will come to power.'' said PM Modi.

Over 25.78 lac voters will decide the fate of these 239 candidates in the fray. According to latest electoral rolls, 25,78,099 lakh voters are eligible to cast their ballot in this phase, comprising 13,12,730 lakh male voters, 12,65,316 lakh female voters and 53 third-gender voters. A total of 932 polling stations are spread across these constituencies, ensuring that every registered voter has the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.

To enhance voter participation, 157 Special polling stations have been established in second phase including 26 polling booths managed by women as as Pink Polling Stations, 26 polling stations manned by specially abled persons, 26 polling stations manned by youths, 31 Border polling stations, 26 green polling stations and 22 Unique Polling stations. The voting will take place from 7.00 am to 6.00 pm.

And the biggest faces that are in the fray include the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah. The first phase of the voting had broken all the previous records with over 60 per cent of voting.