news details |
|
|
| POLLING ENDS WITH LAST PHASE TODAY | | Stakes high for PDP, NC in Srinagar; BJP, Congress in Jammu, Samba | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 23: Former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah and at least 14 former Ministers –most of them members of erstwhile coalition cabinet –are among 393 candidates to try their fate as three districts go to polls tomorrow in last phase of the staggered seven-phased Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections.
Stakes are high for National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party in Srinagar and for BJP and Congress in Jammu and Samba districts. BJP State president Ashok Khajuria, former Union Minister Chaman Lal Gupta, former Finance Minister Tariq Hameed Karra, former Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma and Panthers Party chief Bhim Singh are among the prominent contenders besides Farooq.
There are 16, 91, 797 registered electors, for the 21 assembly segments spread over three districts –Jammu, Samba and Srinagar. Apart from having the highest number of candidates than any other previous phases, the seventh phase has the highest number of woman candidates with 31 in all.
In Srinagar constituencies, a meager number from 5, 57, 279 voters is expected to decide the fate of 152 candidates in fray including 57 independents.
Farooq Abdullah who is contesting from two assembly segments—Sonawar and Hazratbal—is for the first time in his political career seeking mandate from people outside Ganderbal constituency which was regarded as NC bastion before 2002 assembly polls when Qazi Muhammad Afzal of PDP defeated Farooq's son and NC president Omar Abdullah. Farooq did not contest the last assembly elections that many believe led to the downfall of NC in Jammu and Kashmir.
In Hazratbal constituency, NC patron Farooq Abdullah is challenged by 17 candidates other candidates, prominent among them including Asiya Naqash of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Akhoon of Awami National Conference and independent candidate Mohammad Qasim Akhoon.
In Sonawar, Farooq Abdullah is against 25 others candidates and among them includes three major foes, two of them with an NC lineage. Ghulam Muhammad Bhawan who won the 1996 elections on NC ticket might pose problems for Farooq by dividing votes. Bhawan is contesting on the ticket of Democratic Party (Nationalist) this time. According to PBI, former NC minister and Congress's Sonawar candidate Khem Lata Wakhloo would be counting on Pandit voters, living in nearby Indira Nagar or outside the state. The other contestant is Sheikh Ghulam Qadir Pardesi of PDP. In Khaniyar constituency, National Conference's Ali Muhammad Sagar is like seeking hat-rick. Sagar's supremacy in Khaniyar is challenged by nine other candidates. In Zadibal constituency, Shahjahan Dar of PDP is seeking re-election and is challenged chiefly among 15 candidates by Peer Afaq Ahmad of the National Conference, Raja Iftkhar Hussain of ANC and Tanvir Sadiq Ali, an independent.
In Idgah, the main battle is among the 14 candidates in fray is between Mubarak Ahmad Gul of the National Conference who is seeking re-election and the contestants from Idgah constituency are Arifa Tariq wife of PDP senior leaders Tariq Hamid Karra.
Habba Kadal constituency which was once dominated by the Pandit community may spring surprise this time with most of the contesting 21 candidates having fair change. Because of a good number of migrant voters, any of the Kashmiri Pandit candidates— Moti Lal Koul of Congress, Rattan Lal Bhan of Panthers Party, Sanjay Saraf of Lok Jan Shakti and the independent Raman Mattoo -- could end up as a surprise winner. Mattoo won in 2002. The other likely winners include Shameema Firdous of National Conference and Abdul Hamid Bhat of PDP. In Amira-Kadal with 29 candidates an intriguing battle is among PDP's Parvaiz Ahmad Bhat, NC's Nasir Aslam Wani of NC and senior vice-President of ANC Muhammad Muzaffar Shah, son of Ghulam Muhammad Shah. The last assembly segment in Srinagar, Batamaloo has 18 candidates in fray and the main contest is among Tariq Hameed Karra of PDP, Abdul Hamid Rather of congress and Mohammad Irfan Shah of National conference. Jammu has 210 contestants, including a record high of 34 in Jammu West constituency.
25 are in Nagrota, 17 in Gandhinagar, 20 in Jammu East, 27 in Bishnah, 14 in RS Pura, 19 in Suchetgarh, 15 in Marh, 11 in Raipur-Domana, 21 in Akhnoor and 7 in Chhamb constituency. The total electorate in Jammu district is 9, 57,490.Ashok Khajuria, president of the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is contesting from Jammu East.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
