Kishtwar: Faced with the challenge of retaining five out of six seats in his home turf Chenab Valley, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has urged people to help him in fulfilling his dream of converting the area into a "Model Region" of the state.
On the campaign trail in Chenab Valley's Kishtwar district, Azad showcased his rule from 2006-2008 as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir as a new paradigm of development and progress to the state.
"There is need to further accelerate the process of progress and development in the Chenab Valley region. I assure the people that yet another united show will enable me to fulfil my dream of converting Chenab Valley into a 'Model Region' of the state," Azad told public rallies in Bhella and Kishtwar areas of Chenab valley.
"I have a dream of making a modern and progressive Chenab Valley which will be an example for the state and if people show their confidence in me, I will give them the desired result," Azad said.
During the campaign for the five-phase polls in the state, the former chief minister harked back to the slogan of 'Khushaal Jammu and Kashmir', which he had used while in office here to promote the goal of all-round development in the state.
Azad served as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 2006 to 2008 before being succeeded by Omar Abdullah, who came to power as the head of a coalition government of National Conference and the Congress. However, the two parties are fighting the upcoming elections on their own.
Chenab Valley, which has six Assembly segments spread over Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts, will go to polls in the first phase on November 25. Exhorting people to vote with unity and wisdom in favour of the party which has made them feel the benefits of development, Azad said he takes pride in the fact that a 'new paradigm' of development was presented by Congress Party to the people of the state in general and people of remote and backward areas like Chenab Valley in particular.
Asking people to choose the Party which has a track record of initiating developmental activities in the Chenab Valley region, Azad said that those who are selling dreams and are bent upon dividing people are the real enemies of Chenab Valley.
Cautioning the people of Chenab Valley to stand united against the conspiracies being hatched by outside forces to divide them, the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said that Congress Party has given a sense of belonging and identity to the backward and neglected region of Chenab Valley.
Azad said those who do not want this neglected region of Chenab Valley to flourish are plotting and conspiring against it by dividing people on religious lines.
Azad said that he is confident that people of Chenab Valley are not so naive to fritter away the strength and unity upon the instigation of external forces.
He asserted that Congress is fighting elections on the plank of development.
Appreciating the wisdom and sagacity of the people of Chenab Valley, Azad said that people are fully conscious of the benefits of unity which they have reaped in the last ten years by reposing their trust in the Congress Party.
