Jammu, Jun 03 (KNO): Ahead of the counting day of 2024 general elections, both the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and opposition Congress party are keeping their fingers crossed and are hoping against the hope to get results in their favour as counting of votes begins today (Tuesday).
After the exit poll exercise, which has given both the seats of Jammu region, Jammu and Udhampur, to the saffron party, Congress party has increased its vigil around the counting centers at both Jammu and Kathua.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), there is a close contest between BJP’s Dr. Jitendra Singh and Congress party’s Choudhary Lal Singh on Udhampur seat and the pendulum can swing to either side. Whereas in the Jammu constituency, BJP seems to be having the edge as they are relying on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wave.
But things are not going to be easy for any of the candidates as this time most of the voters were silent and they didn’t open their cards till the end of the voting. The voting on Udhampur Lok Sabha seat was held on April 19 in the first phase whereas Jammu went for polls during the second phase on April 26.
Immediately after the polling and when all the electronic voting machines were kept inside the strong rooms in degree college Kathua, Congress candidate and his supporters kept a close watch and ensured that no untoward incident occurred inside or outside the strong room.
The returning officer also reacted swiftly to the demands of candidates and improved the security of the strong room by installing extra close circuit television cameras inside and outside the strong room.
Now, when the countdown has begun and the counting of votes will start on Tuesday morning, both the parties have kept their fingers crossed.
A senior BJP leader told KNO that they are expecting to win both the seats. “We will win both the seats of Jammu and Udhampur but one thing is there as well that Congress party has managed to get good votes as compared to previous elections,” the BJP leader said.
“There was a strong resentment against the BJP candidate on Udhampur seat till polling day but in the end many voters voted for the BJP because of the Modi factor and this could go in our favour. As far as the Jammu seat is concerned, we are winning hands down,” he added.
But Choudhary Lal Singh on the other hand believes that he is winning the Udhampur seat easily. “We will not get provoked by the exit polls or through any other tactics and will not create any sort of trouble in and outside the counting centers because I am winning. Those who have travelled with me during the campaigning know the exact poll rather than these exit polls,” Singh told reporters at his home in Kathua this afternoon.
Meanwhile, security arrangements have been put in place in and outside the counting centers at both Jammu and Kathua and people have been advised to stay away 100 meters from the counting centers. Returning officers of both the constituencies alongwith police officers reviewed the arrangements. For the counting day agents of candidates have been told not to bring their mobile phones and any electronic gadgets with them inside the counting halls—(KNO)