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Campaigning for the first phase of the five-phased Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir is in full swing as the top leaders of various political parties are criss-crossing 15 constituencies which will go to polls later this month.
The electorate in the 15 constituencies - spread over six districts across all the three regions of the state - will exercise their franchise in the first phase.
All the major political parties in the state - National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Congress and the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) -- are busy with the electioneering in the three regions of the state - Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
The political leaders have to hop from one region to the other as the people in five constituencies in Kashmir Valley, all the four constituencies in Ladakh region and six in Jammu division will exercise in their franchise on November 25.
Interestingly, BJP, which is hoping to achieve its 'Mission 44 plus' - the magical mark in the 87-member Legislative Assembly, for the first time is focusing on Kashmir as party general secretary Ram Madhav has visited the Valley several times since the elections were announced.
Winning some seats in the Valley and Ladakh region, along with a majority of 37 seats in Jammu division, would be important for the party's prospects and its dream of having its government in the state for the first time ever.
Though BJP has not started an aggressive campaign on the ground, the party leaders, including top leaders from Delhi, are busy in developing a strategy for increasing their chances of opening an account in the Valley, where, so far, the party has not won any seat.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the star campaigner of the ruling National Conference (NC), is also travelling to different regions of the state for campaigning.
