news details |
|
|
| Abdullahs feel heat on ground with few options available | | No 'safe havens' for NC in Central Kashmir | | Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, May 28: National Conference, the oldest mainstream political party in the state is up against a serious challenge as its trio of top leaders belonging to one family is looking for options where they can fight the Assembly elections and then win them as well.
National Conference President, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, party working president, Omar Abdullah and its additional general secretary, Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal are looking for options since the Assembly elections are being held few months away. With little options available the trio is facing an uphill task to find the right options.
Given the recent drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections at the hands of People’s Democratic Party the party leaders are finding it difficult to find the seats in the Central Kashmir. Central Kashmir once considered to be safe for NC is no longer safe with PDP making serious inroads in the Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal districts.
Omar who represents Ganderbal in the Legislative Assembly has virtually lost the mandate since the PDP Lok Sabha candidate, Tariq Hameed Qarra won from this Assembly segment like the majority of the other Assembly segments in the Central Kashmir. As such it is not difficult to predict that Omar would not fight the next Assembly election from Ganderbal.
This would act as a serious blow to the party since Omar, his father, Dr. Farooq Abdullah and grandfather, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah have won from this seat in the past. The party is facing serious rebellion from two of its old hands in the district with Sheikh Ghulam Ahmad Saloora and Mohammad Yousuf Bhat ready to knock a punch.
Omar's uncle and Dr. Abdullah's younger brother, Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal lost the Hazratbal assembly segment to the PDP candidate by a handsome margin. In fact, Dr. Kamaal faced rebellion from the party within with former legislator Mohammad Sayeed Akhoon raising revolt against his candidature in 2008 Assembly elections.
It is widely felt and believed that this time around Akhoon would get the nod from the Hazratbal Assembly seat ahead of Dr. Kamaal. As such the NC additional general secretary may be forced to retreat to Gulmarg where he is expected to lock the horns with Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir in the next Assembly elections.
National Conference President, Dr. Farooq Abdullah had to pay the price for the 'inefficient' working of his party legislators of Central Kashmir as he lost the elections for the Srinagar-Budgam Lok Sabha seat against Tariq Hameed Qarra. He received 'shock' of his life after being humbled by the PDP candidate in the recent Parliament elections.
Dr. Abdullah may take a chance of fighting the next Assembly elections from the Ganderbal constituency hoping against hope that he would be able to narrow the differences among the party leaders in this Central Kashmir district.
However, nothing is certain so far as the senior Abdullah may also try his luck from any seat of Srinagar district. In that case he would have to think of his son as well as he too has to be accommodated from the summer capital of the state. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
