J&K election: Narendra Modi to address rally in Doda today, first by any PM in decades
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda on Saturday to address a public rally for the upcoming assembly election.
Union coal and mines minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) election in-charge for Jammu & Kashmir G Kishan Reddy said this will be the first visit by a prime minister to Doda in the last 42 years.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold his first election meeting in Doda tomorrow. This will be a significant event as it marks the first visit of any Prime Minister to Doda in 42 years. The last prime ministerial visit to Doda was in 1982,” Reddy was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
PM Narendra Modi, who is the star campaigner of the BJP, will address an election rally at Doda Sports Stadium. This will also be Modi’s first rally after the announcement of assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir by the election commission on August 31. Modi will also visit Srinagar on September 19.
Voting in the J&K assembly election will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1. Eight assembly constituencies in three districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban district will vote in the first phase on September 18. At least 16 seats in south Kashmir will also go to polls on the same day.
The BJP has fielded Gajay Singh Rana from Doda and Shakti Raj Parihar from Doda West seat.
After Doda, the prime minister will head to Kurukshetra to address his first first rally ahead of next month’s Haryana Assembly elections. Polling in Haryana will take place on October 5.
The counting of votes for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana will take place on October 8.
High alert sounded
A high alert has been sounded in the entire Doda region ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.
On Friday, a gunfight with the terrorists erupted on Friday in the Pingnar area of Chatroo in the adjoining Kishtwar district. Two Army personnel were killed and two others were injured.
On Wednesday, security forces had killed two armed terrorists in a gunfight on Udhampur-Kathua border.
Defence personnel have increased vigil in the UT ahead of the assembly elections. This year, 14 security personnel and 11 civilians have died in separate extremist attacks in Jammu. Security forces have gunned down 10 terrorists in the region.