Perparations underway for polling in Jammu and Kashmir. (Press Trust of India)
The stage is set for the fifth and final leg of Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, in which several high-profile candidates, including Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, will try their luck in 20 seats spread over three districts of Jammu, amid a strong security deployment.
After a record voter turnout in the previous four phases, particularly in the Kashmir Valley, there are expectations of a high voter turnout in Jammu, Kathua and Rajouri districts in Jammu region as well.
Unfazed by the November 27 militant attack in Arnia border belt of Jammu District in which 12 people, including five civilians and four militants were killed, high-pitched campaigning continued till Thursday evening.
As many as 213 candidates, including Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, ministers Sham Lal Sharma, Raman Bhalla, Manohar Lal Sharma, Ajay Sadhotra, former MPs and ministers Lal Singh, Talib Hussain (both BJP) and Jitendra Babu Singh and former Deputy Speaker Hyder Malik will be battling it out in this phase.
"All measures and arrangements have been put in place for tomorrow's polls," Divisional Commissioner, Jammu Division, Shant Manu told PTI.
Mr Manu said 400 companies of security personnel (each company as approximately 100 personnel) will be deployed for tomorrow's polling apart from the regular deployment of police forces.
As many as 18,28,904 eligible voters, comprising 9,59,011 men and 8,69,891 women, are expected to exercise their franchise at 2,366 polling stations set up across the three border districts.
Security arrangements along the India - Pakistan border has been strengthened in the three border districts with troops put on alert for tomorrow's polls.
"Security grid along the India - Pakistan border has been put on alert. Multi-tier security has been put in place," the Divisional Commissioner said.
A contingency plan has also been drawn in case any firing takes place from the Pakistan side during the polling tomorrow and alternative polling stations have been set up for such a case, he said.
BJP has high stakes in this phase as of the 20 seats going to polls, it had got the most (10) seats in the 2008 Assembly elections followed by Congress five, NC two, PDP one and Independents two.
The saffron party fired up its campaigning with all top guns led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Smriti Irani, Uma Bharati, J P Nadda, Jitendra Singh and star campaigners Vinod Khanna, Hema Malini, and Navjot Singh Sidhu wooing voters.
Modi addressed four rallies in Rajouri, Jammu, Billawar and Kathua Assembly segments and appealed to the people to give BJP a majority to develop the state and oust "dynastic" rule of NC, PDP and Congress.
Senior leaders of all parties campaigned for their candidates. Among the prominent campaigners were Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, his predecessors Congress's Ghulam Nabi Azad and PDP's Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Mehbooba Mufti.