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| Top heads at stake in Baramulla | | | ZAFAR CHOUDHARY
JAMMU, Nov 23: Prestige of stalwarts from almost all political parties in the fray is at high stakes as Baramulla district in North Kashmir gears up for polls in fourth phase on December 7.
While Peoples Democratic Party has its nerve center in Baramulla, for National Conference it is about dignity of the Abdullah dynasty and restoration lost glory of a titan. Congress too will have to prove its mettle for the sake of Pradesh Congress Committee president’s political strength and for other smaller and newer parties it is simply a question of survival.
Peoples Democratic Party’s leading star Muzaffar Hussain Baig is seeking election from proper Baramulla constituency from where he had won in 2002. Though Baig is yet to be seen or heard anywhere ever since the elections have been announced but for both –Baig and Party –winning this seat is like saving nerve center of the PDP. Dillawar Mir is another important candidate of PDP seeking election from Rafiabad in Baramulla.
Stakes are not lesser for the National Conference. Sheikh Abdullah’s younger son, Dr Mustafa Kamal is contesting from Tangmarg where he has emotional connections. Kalam won 1987 and 1996 elections from Tangmarg but lost in 2002 to Ghulam Hassan Mir who was then PDP candidate. Mir has this time floated his own party and for him loosing election at home constituency is like calling end to the political career.
In Uri constituency, National Conference strongman Mohammad Shafi Uri who won five times in a row since 1972, is again locked in contest with Taj Mohiuddin of Congress. Shafi had lost to Taj in 2002.
Pradesh Congress chief Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz is though not contesting election from anywhere but for him Baramulla assumed huge importance, Baramulla is home district of Soz. Challenges are not lighter for him. The first and embarrassing challenge is revolt of former PCC chief Ghulam Rasool Kar who plunged into fray from Sopore constituency.
With the withdrawal of 12 candidature, the battle lines for seven Assembly segments, going to polls in fourth of the seven-phase elections in Jammu and Kashmir on December seven, have been drawn. Twelve candidates, mostly from different political parties, withdrew their candidature on the last date of withdrawal, which ended yesterday afternoon.
117 candidates had filed their nomination papers for seven Assembly segments of Uri, Rafiabad, Sopore, Sangrama, Baramulla, Pattan and Gulmarg in north Kashmir district of Baramulla. However, after the withdrawal by the candidates, there are now 105 contestants in the fray.
four candidates withdrew, leaving 13 in the fray and in Rafiabad all the nine candidates decided to fight it out. In Sopore constituency, the strong hold of breakaway Hurriyat Conference (HC) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, out of 28 candidates, four withdrew their candidature while in Sangrama, only one candidate went for withdrawal out of 20 candidates, who had filed their nomination papers.
In Baramulla and Gulmarg 12 and 15 candidates, who had failed their nomination papers respectively remained in fray.
But in Pattan constituency, three candidates went for withdrawal, leaving behind 13 candidates in the fray. The authorities have decided to set up 707 polling booths for an electorate of 5,18,963 voters, including 2,49,982 women.
The highest number of 117 polling station will be set up in Sopore, followed by Uri, bordering Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), 110, Gulmarg 109, Baramulla 107, 91 each in Rafiabad and Pattan and Sangrama 82. Almost all these polling stations are sensitive or hyper sensitive. |
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