NC, Cong pose challenge to sitting BJP MLA

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 16

An interesting contest is on cards on the Marh Assembly seat as the National Conference and the Congress pose a challenge to sitting BJP legislator Choudhary Sukhnandan, who is seeking re-election from the Hindu dominated constituency.

The Marh seat has been witnessing a triangular contest among NC stalwart Ajay Sadhotra, dynamic Congress leader Thakur Balwan Singh and BJP's Jat face and a prominent farmer leader Choudhary Sukhnandan since 1996 state elections, and a similar story is scripted this time around also. Following the Amarnath land row, Choudhary Sukhnandan won the elections from this seat in 2008. But this time he is facing a tough competition from Ajay Sadhotra on one hand and Thakur Balwan Singh on the other.

Sadhotra, who is a minister in the Omar Abdullah government, has been working in this constituency for the last nearly three decades and has a strong base in the area.

He has nurtured the constituency throughout and his down to earth behavior and big push for development of the constituency are his great assets, acknowledged even by his critics.

Sadhotra is a silent worker and that adds to is his repertoire. Thakur Balwan Singh is a dynamic politician who started his political career as student leader. Being connected with the grass roots level, Singh has emerged as a strong contender.

While the incumbent BJP MLA is seeking support in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and on the basis of his own performance in the constituency during the last six years, Sadhotra is riding high on the work done by him and his government in the area.

Balwan Singh on the other hand remains focused on the development of the Marh Assembly constituency.

He is also trying to give out a message to the people that the BJP was not going to form the government in J&K and it was better to cast vote in favour of the Congress for the overall development of the constituency.

"I call upon the discerning and sagacious citizenry of Marh not to get misled by the hollow statements of the BJP and make an informed choice as it has not been able to open its account in the four phases of the poling held so far," said Balwan Singh, who had contested the seat in 2008 as an Independent candidate.

All the three candidates have strong hold in their respective pockets of the constituency but 30 per cent population which resides in the Tawi island area holds the key. This 30 per cent population comprises majority Dalits and a lot will depend upon how they vote.