Rahul Gandhi arrives in Jammu to kickstart party's poll campaign

Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi arrived in Jammu on Sep 4 to launch his party's electoral campaign for the much-awaited assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir beginning Sep 18.

Gandhi is expected to address two public rallies in the Ramban and Anantnag districts of the union territory. The rallies are part of the poll campaign for the Congress candidates contesting in the first phase of polls.

The Congress leader’s special plane reportedly landed at Jammu airport and he took a helicopter for Sangaldan in Ramban district, where he is likely to address a rally of party workers and supporters, a party leader said.

Gandhi will also campaign for former Jammu and Kashmir unit party chief Vikar Rasool Wani, who is contesting from the Banihal assembly constituency, according to Tariq Hamid Karra, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief.

After addressing rallies in Jammu, senior Congress leader will fly to the Dooru area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district to address another rally in support of Congress general secretary and former minister Ghulam Ahmed Mir, Karra said.

Senior Congress leader and former minister, Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed, is contesting in the first phase besides Wani and Mir.
Meanwhile, the rallies assume significance as these will kick off the Congress's electoral campaign in Jammu and Kashmir. Notably, the assembly polls are happening in the politically volatile Union Territory after a ten-year hiatus.

Gandhi’s visit would give a “fresh impetus” to the party's outreach during the poll campaign and improve its poll prospects, reported PTI quoting Karra. '

The Congress is relying on Gandhi to regain support in Jammu, which has gradually shifted towards the BJP. The BJP won both Lok the Sabha seats in Jammu earlier this year.

Gandhi will return to Delhi on Sep 5 evening.

The polling for the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir assembly will be held in three phases from Sep 18 to Oct 1. The results will be declared on Oct 4.

Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are among 40-star campaigners of the party who will campaign for the party candidates in Jammu and Kashmir, according to party officials.

Congress-NC forge alliance

The Congress and the National Conference (NC) have forged a pre-poll alliance for the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
The NC will contest on 51 seats, while the Congress will contest on 32 seats, according to the seat-sharing deal.

Both parties have also agreed to field candidates in Nagrota, Bhaderwah, Banihal, and Doda constituencies in the Jammu region, as well as Sopore in the Kashmir division.