For 11 seats in the Jammu region, including the coveted Mata Vaishno Devi seat, 79 candidates are in fray, but the main contest is between the NC-Congress alliance and the BJP. The three districts of Jammu, Poonch and Reasi have seen many terror attacks recently. Tight security arrangements have been put in place to ensure the smooth conduct of polls, especially in areas close to Line of Control.The stakes are high for the BJP, whose fortunes are linked to the Jammu region, which has 43 assembly seats.The BJP’s star campaigners, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP chief JP Nadda and several other Union ministers, have held election rallies and road shows in the Jammu region.Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sachin Pilot have also held poll rallies in the Valley as well as the Jammu region.8 constituencies in NC stronghold Srinagar head for pollsAll the eight seats of Srinagar, which remained a traditional stronghold of National Conference, are going to vote in the second phase. Of the eight Srinagar seats, the National Conference is contesting seven seats and its ally Congress will fight in the Central Shalteng seat.
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