Jammu, December 30
Race for the party ticket for byelection to the Jammu Lok Sabha seat has begun with the Election Commission fixing February 21 for the poll.
A number of Congress and the BJP leaders have reached Delhi and others are on their way to the Capital to stake claim for the party ticket for the Jammu seat which fell vacant after the death of BJP member Vaid Vishnu Dutt.
Earlier, it had been envisaged that the byelection to the Jammu Lok Sabha seat would be held with the Assembly poll next year but the poll schedule was fixed earlier than expected because the BJP-led NDA government was keen to have the support of one more MP from Jammu.
For the Congress ticket six have staked their claim they include Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, Mr Janak Raj Gupta, Mr Madan Lal Sharma, Mr Hari Singh, Mr Balwan Singh, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, a former minister, and Mr Janak Raj Gupta have successfully contested the poll from Jammu in the past.
As far as the BJP is concerned there are more than six candidates in the race. They include Dr Nirmal Singh, general secretary, Ch Piara Singh MLA, Mr D.K. Kotwal, party president, Mr Chander Mohan Sharma, vice-president, and Dr Kanu Sharma, daughter-in-law of late Vaid Vishnu Dutt who had won from the Jammu Lok Sabha constituency twice.
Inside reports said Mr Ashok Khajuria, MLA and supporters of late Vaid Vishnu Dutt favour Dr Kanu Sharma’s candidature as her entry in the poll battle could help the party get sympathy vote. She could have secured full support from the RSS had not a senior RSS activist, Shri Kumar been an aspirant for the BJP ticket. The local leaders are waiting for the party committee to send a panel of names to the party high command. The panel comprises Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, Union Minister for Food Processing, Mr D.K. Kotwal, president state unit of the BJP and Mr Shiv Charan Gupta, MLA.
The RSS lobby is trying to outwit others by suggesting to the party high command to allot the party ticket either to Dr Kanu Sharma or to Shri Kumar. But since Muslim vote bank can tilt the scales the BJP leadership is keen on fielding a non-controversial party man and in this category Mr Chander Mohan Sharma tops the list.
As far as the National Conference is concerned there are several aspirants for the party ticket. Ch Talib Hussain, Mr R.S. Chib, Mr Bodh Raj Bali, former ministers, Mr Shabir Salaria and Mohd Din Bandey are in the forefront of the ticket seekers.
Reports said the BSP, which is also a serious contender in the field, is trying to forge a secret understanding with the ruling National Conference so that a candidate, preferably a Muslim, could be fielded to defeat the BJP.
The Jammu constituency has over 12 lakh voters and major areas in this constituency are, at present, troubled with Pak firing and shelling having forced heavy migration. People in this constituency are not sure whether the polling could take place if the war breaks out.
