Srinagar: Over 7.32 lakh voters will decide the fate of 90 candidates, including three ministers of the ruling National Conference (NC), who are in the fray for nine Assembly constituencies going to polls on Tuesday in the second phase of the five-phased Legislative Assembly elections in Kashmir valley.
Polling will start at 8:00 am and will continue till 4:00 pm in all the 934 polling booths set up by the authorities.
In view of the recent violence, including grenade blast in Srinagar which left eight persons, including a CRPF officer injured, fierce encounter in Jammu in which ten persons, including three security personnel, four civilians and three militants were killed and killing of a National Conference (NC) sarpanch in south Kashmir on Sunday evening, a fresh alert has been issued in the state.
Meanwhile, the ministers who are seeking re-election from their respective constituencies include NC's Sakina Itoo from Noorabad seat, Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan from Handwara and Mir Saifullah from Kupawara.
These nine Assembly seats are expected to witness a tough competition between NC and PDP as the former will have to retain four seats it had won in the 2008 elections to be in the race to form the next government. Even though the BJP has fielded eight candidates in Kashmir in this phase, except for Handwara - where separatist turned politician Sajjad Gani Lone of Peoples Conference is in the fray, political experts believe that the saffron party will not be able to crack any of these nine seats.
It is very interesting that the two regional parties - NC and PDP - during their campaign throughout the valley spoke less about developmental issues and good governance and gave more time, alleging each other of having secret links with BJP. Article 370, granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir, dominated the campaigning by local parties while BJP, eyeing Mission 44-plus, skip it after some reservation expressed by candidates contesting on the party ticket in Kashmir.
BJP leaders, who addressed election rallies, road shows and media in Kashmir, avoided this question time and again, saying central leadership has already made its stand on this issue clear, however, its candidates from Jammu region have been promising advocating removal of Article 370 from the state in their elections rallies.
Handwara, which is a militant prone area, 12 candidates are in the fray including NC's Chowdry Mohamad Ramzan, who is seeking re-election from the constituency. Ramzan represented the constituency in the Legislative Assembly four times since 1983. Even though he lost to an Independent candidate Sofi Ghulam Mohdi-Ud-Din in 2002, Ramzan won the 2008 Assembly election by a margin of 11, 590 votes. However, it will be an uphill talk for Ramzan this time as Mohdi-Ud-Din has been fielded by PDP in the constituency while separatist turned politician Sajjad is seeking mandate on Peoples Conference ticket. The constituency in 2008 witnessed a voter turnout of 75.55 per cent.
Other candidates include Sajad Ahmad Pir (BSP), Mohammad Abdullah Bhat (NPP), Mohammad Yaseen Bhat (INC), Ghulam Qadir Mircha (All J&K Kissan Mazdoor Party), Ajaz Ahmad Sofi Independent (AIP), Haneefa Begum Independent (JKNPPF), Abdul Rahman Tantry (Independent), Anaytullah Lohar, (Independent) and Hilal Ahmad Tantry (Independent).
Meanwhile, Karnah, where 7 candidates are in the fray for the Assembly elections, is a stronghold of the NC. The party has lost this seat just twice since 1957. NC's Kafil-Ur-Rehman, who is seeking re-elections, in 2008 elections won the seat by a margin of 1,148 votes. The constituency witnessed a voter turnout of 79.19 per cent.
Even though the BJP, which is eying an inroad in the Valley to achieve 'Mission 44-plus', has filed its candidate, Ashfaq-Ur-Rehman, from the constituency, it will be very difficult for the saffron party to make a breakthrough in this constituency. The other candidates in the fray include Jahangir Khan (Panthers Party), Raja Manzoor Ahamed Khan (PDP), Ali Asgar Khan (INC), Aijaz Ahamed Badana (All J&K Kissan Mazdoor Party) and Mohammad Saleem Mir (J&KPC).
As many as 12 candidates are in the fray for the elections in Kupwara constituency, which is yet another stronghold of the ruling NC. The party since 1957 has lost this seat just once in 1967 to Congress leader Mohammad Sultan Tantry. NC candidate, who is seeking re-election for the fourth time from the constituency, in 2008 elections won the seat by a margin of 5,182 votes. Kupwara, which is a frontier constituency in north Kashmir, in 2008 Assembly elections witnessed a voter turnout of 62.43 per cent.
The other candidates in the fray include Sardar Khan (BSP), Saifullah Khan (NCP), Abdul Rehman Lone (BJP), Gh Rasool Malik (INC), Mir Saif-ul-llah (JKNC), Mir Mohd Fayaz (JKPDP), Wali Mohd Khan (JKNPP), Adv Bashir Ahmad Dar (JKPC), Gh Hassan Sheikh, (Kissan Mazdoor Party) while as Javid Ahmad Wani, Adv Mohammad Amin Peer and Mustaq Ahmad Sheikh are Independent candidates.
In Lolab, nine candidates are in the fray to seek mandate from the voters to secure a Legislative Assembly seat. PDP's Abdul Haq Khan, who is seeking re-election from the constituency, in 2008 won by a margin of 5,347 votes. In constituency, which recorded a voter turnout of 68.12 per cent in 2008 elections, BJP has also fielded its candidate, Abdul Rasheed Zargar. However, Zargar's chances to garner mandate from the constituency are bleak. Other candidates in the fray include Ghulam Ahmad Malik (JKNPP), Ghulam Nabi Shah (BSP), Haji Farooq Ahmad Mir (INC), Qaiser Jamsheed Lone (NC), Suriya Bano (RPI), Abdul Rehman Wani (JKPC) and Mohd Sultan Magray (Kisan Mazdoor Party (Ind).
In Langat Assembly constituency, 11 candidates including Awami Itihad Party chief Abdul Rashid Sheikh, who is seeking re-election, are trying their luck in the elections scheduled on December 2. Rashid won by a small margin of 210 votes in 2008 election, which witnessed a voter turnout of 61.33 per cent. BJP has also fielded its candidate Mohammad Maqbool War from Langate. Other candidates include Bashir Ahmad Wani (INC), Javid Ahmad Najar (J&K NPP), Ghulam Nabi Ganai (Pandithpori) (PDP), Wali Mohd Bhat (J&KNC), Advocate Mohammad Abdullah Mir (J&KPC), Irshad Hussain Ganai (Independent), Haji Mohd Akbar Ganai (Independent), Mohd Ramzan Malla (Independent) and Mudasir Ahmad Tantray (Independent).
In Noorabad constituency, 15 candidates are in the fray including NC leader and minister in Omar-led government Sakina Itoo, who is seeking re-election from the constituency. Meanwhile, PDP has fielded a new candidate, Abdul Majeed Padder, in Noorabad to seek mandate from the people. Sakina has represented the state twice in 1996 and 2008 while her father Wali Mohammad Itoo has won the seat twice on NC ticket - 1977 and 1983. Even though BJP has fielded its candidate, Mushtaq Ahmed Malik, the competition is likely between NC and PDP.
Other candidates include Abdur Rehman Magray (BSP), Mushtaq Ahmad (JKNPP), Manzoor Ahmad Zargar (INC) while as Akther Hussain Shah, Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Tawseef Ahmad Dar, Abdul Rashid Bhat, Gulzar Ahmed Mir, Mohd Amin Teli, Mushtaq Ahmad Doie and Mehraj-ud-Din Dar are Independent candidates. Noorabad in 2008 witnessed a voter turnout of 74.11 per cent.
Eight candidates are in the fray in Kulgam constituency from where CPI (M) state general secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami is seeking re-election for the fourth time. Tarigami won 2008 elections in Kulgam, which saw a voter turnout of 61.66 per cent, by beating his nearest rival, PDP's Nazir Ahmad Laway, by a margin of 236 votes. BJP has fielded a new candidate, Ghulam Hassan Zargar, after the party dropped Manzoor Ahmad Paray following his abysmal performance in 2008 elections. Paray in the last Assembly elections managed to secure only 812 votes. Other candidates include Peer Nazim-ud-Din (INC), Riyaz Ahmad Shah (BSP), Imran Nabi Dar (NC), Nazir Ahmad Laway (PDP), Towseef Ahmad Shah (Independent) and Rashida Mir (Independent).
In Humshalibugh constituency, which is a stronghold of PDP since its creation in 2002, eight candidates are in the fray for the elections. PDP candidate Abdul Gaffar Sofi, who won 2008 elections by a margin of 4,810 votes, is seeking his re-election for the third time from the constituency. The other candidates include Bashir Ahmad Bhat (BSP), Abdul Majeed (NC), Anayatullah Rather (INC), Ghulam Nabi Dar (BJP), Mohammad Ayoub Sheikh (JKNPP), Mohd. Amin Bhat (Samajwadi Party) and Abdul Bary Naik (Independent).
Eight candidates are in the fray in Devsar constituency, which is a stronghold of PDP. PDP candidate Mohammad Sartaj Madni, who won the last Assembly elections by a margin of 4,001, is seeking re-election for the third time from the constituency. As performance of BJP's candidate in 2008 Assembly elections was very poor in the constituency, who managed to get only 257 votes, the party has fielded a new candidate, Fayaz Ahmad Bhat. However, the main contest will be between NC and PDP, with the latter having an advantage over the former. NC has fielded Peerzada Gulam Ahmad Shah, who has won the seat three times - 1983, 1987 and 1996 - before losing to Madni in 2002 and 2008.
The other candidates include Mohammad Amin Bhat (INC), Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat (BSP), Asif Jeelani (AIFB) while as Mudasir Rashid Mir and Nisar Ahmad Hajam are Independents.
(Abid Soffi is the Managing Editor 'Kashmir Pioneer'. He lives in Srinagar.)
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