Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024 | Change from SC to general, RS Pura-Jammu South seat brings new dynamics into play

Historically, RS Pura-Jammu South has sent illustrious figures to the assembly, and the stakes are now even higher with its newly drawn boundaries post-delimitation in 2022.

R S Pura (Jammu): Known as the homeland of Basmati farmers, the R S Pura-Jammu South constituency, a longstanding bastion of the Congress, is bringing new dynamics into play as once reserved for SCs, the seat is now open for the general category.

Spanning both rural and urban areas, the seat holds a special place in Jammu's political landscape. Historically, it has sent illustrious figures to the assembly, and the stakes are now even higher with its newly drawn boundaries post-delimitation in 2022.

R S Pura-Jammu South, a new and fiercely contested assembly seat, is set for a tough fight between two-time MLA and former minister Raman Bhalla of the Congress and BJP candidate Dr Narinder Singh Raina. Bhalla is facing an acid test to reclaim the seat for the Congress after 22 years.

The seat is also grabbing attention due to a heavyweight fight involving former minister and Progressive Alliance Democratic Party (PDAP) candidate Chaudhary Gharu Ram and People's Democratic Party's (PDP's) Narender Sharma, among 14 candidates aiming to influence the outcome.

Caste and regional identities will shape the contest in the constituency which was reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) from 1996 to 2014.

One of Jammu's most significant seats, R S Pura-Jammu South has a storied history, producing political stalwarts such as veteran Congress leader Dr Karan Singh and PDP founder and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who won the seat in 1967 and 1985 respectively.

"This election season, the seat has become a political hotspot as candidates strive to win over a complex electorate split across regional and caste lines. Although there is a four-cornered contest between the Congress, BJP, DPAP and PDP, the real fight is between Bhalla and Raina," political expert Vikar Kumar said.

As a constituency comprising majority of Basmati rice fields along the borderline with Pakistan and newly added areas of Jammu South -- part of the capital city following the 2022 delimitation -- the fight has become very interesting, he added.

For the Congress, former two-time minister Raman Bhalla, who won the Gandhi Nagar assembly seat in 2002 and 2008, is banking on the basis of his strong performance during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when he garnered more votes from this assembly segment than BJP's sitting MP Jugal Kishore Sharma.

Gandhi Nagar assembly seat is a part of the Jammu Lok Sabha constituency.

Bhalla, who lost the 2024 parliamentary elections to BJP's Sharma, took a lead of nearly 10,000 votes in hi Gandhi Nagar assembly segment.

"We will not only win this seat but also secure alliance seats in Jammu and Kashmir and form a government. We will reclaim this seat for the Congress as we have a significant edge," Bhalla told PTI.

Bhalla, whose political existence also hinges on this election after two defeats in Lok Sabha elections in 2019 and 2024 as well as the 2014 assembly elections, said people are fully supporting the Congress due to their dissatisfaction with the BJP government and Lt Governor (LG) rule over a decade.

"People are distressed by the harsh measures across all fronts, including smart meters, unemployment and land laws," Bhalla, who is conducting door-to-door campaigns, corner meetings and public rallies in the constituency to woo voters, said.

Star campaigners including Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot have addressed rallies in his constituency to woo voters.

On the other side, BJP's Narinder Singh Raina, who also is the party's national secretary, is relying on the BJP's enduring support base.

Raina, who is campaigning on the development agenda of the party and the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, belongs to the Sikh community which has a sizable population in the constituency.

"We have undertaken massive development works, welfare measures and reservations including for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs. Border peace is permanent. It suffered during previous regimes when border residents lost lives and properties in Pakistan's firing and shelling," Raina said.

The BJP candidate, whose challenge is to seek a hat-trick for the party to win this seat again, said people want this development journey to continue under the party's government, ensuring peace, progress and prosperity in the region.

"They fully support us. We will win the seat and form a majority government in J&K," Raina, supported by star campaigners including Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and several Union ministers, said.

Both candidates face distinct challenges. While Bhalla needs to secure backing from R S Pura's rural and border voters, Raina is focused on drawing support from the urban electorate in Jammu South. This tug-of-war has placed local issues like road connectivity, healthcare facilities and power supply at the forefront of campaign discussions.

Apart from them, prominent Jat leader and Gulam Nabi Azad's party candidate Choudhary Gharu Ram, who won the seat in 2002, said, "I am hopeful of victory with the support of my people. DPAP has made inroads in the constituency in the past two years," Ram, whose community also has a sizable population here, told PTI.

The RS Pura-Jammu South seat has been historically competitive, with BJP's Gagan Bhagat and Gharu Ram Bhagat winning in 2014 and 2008 respectively, and Congress' Suman Lata Bhagat in 2002.

With over 1,30,000 voters, the race is wide open as the constituency heads to the polls in the third and final phase on October 1. As election day approaches, the battle for R S Pura-Jammu South is shaping up to be one of the most closely-watched contests in J&K.