This winter promises to be hot in Jammu and Kashmir politics. All three top parties have gone into "election gear' and are conducting "quiet' and "visible' activities to garner support ahead of the 2014 Parliamentary as well as Assembly elections.

The ruling National Conference's (NC) December 5 rally at Naseembagh, Hazratbal, to mark the 108th birth anniversary of party founder and former chief minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, was effectively the first major "show of strength' by any of the three top political parties.

In the rally'"attended by top party leaders, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his father and Union minister Farooq Abdullah'"NC snubbed ally Congress by announcing its candidates for all three Lok Sabha seats from Kashmir.

A senior NC leader said the party recently restructured its youth wing to get them involved in party affairs. The youth brigade along with party leaders will work at grassroots level, listen to the grievances of cadres and people, and try to sort them out. "The party is more focussed on South Kashmir, where PDP president Mehbooba Mufti will contest parliamentary election from Pulwama-Anantnag seat,' he added.

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