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| Khalida Shah may not pose a threat to Farooq Abdullah | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu, Apr 17-The National Conference circles blame agencies and political groups that are opposed to the ruling party, for having persuaded Khalida Shah, Awami National Conference (ANC) Chief, to contest from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency for where her brother, Dr Farooq Abdullah, is the NC candidate. No doubt the Awami National Conference, since its birth in 1984, has never been a major political force in the state, giving mandate to Khalida Shah the party would try to split the pro-Abdullah vote bank.
NC circles are of the opinion that the ANC may not be able to dent the NC vote bank because the party led by Khalida had not been able to win a single seat in the recent Assembly election. By winning over seven seats in Srinagar-Ganderbal Assembly segments the NC had demonstrated its strength. This belt could have given moments of worry to the NC had the ANC some pockets of influence. Majority of those who had defected from the NC and joined hands with G.M .Shah, a former Chief Minister, in 1984, had left the Shah camp. Others had deserted the party. While some returned to the Congress, others rejoined the NC yet others joined the PDP. It is only Muzaffar Shah, son of Khalida, who has been trying to keep the ANC alive.
Whatever may have been the reasons the ANC has had no history of electoral victory. If it gained power in 1984 it was simply the result of defection from the NC and its 13 MLAs were supported by the Congress for forming the Government. Poll pundits are of the opinion that entry of Khalida in the poll fray may not upset the NC apple cart. The sister could cause a minor split in the pro-Abdullah vote bank. If not anything else, the fight between Khalida and her brother, Farooq Abdullah, will determine the supremacy of one over the other.
No doubt Khalida is a soft spoken woman carrying the halo of Sheikh Abdullah; she lacks that political charisma for which Farooq is known. And Dr Farooq has played an election stunt by accepting the invitation of Kashmir Mirwaiz,Molvi Umar Farooq. Farooq Abdullah said that he would discuss the invitation from Umar on joining Hurriyat with the NC high command after the election. Those who treat it as an election stunt say that by giving an impression that Farooq Abdullah was not fully opposed to joining the Hurriyat conference he wanted to buy peace with the separatists so that the Lok Sabha election ended without any incident and people were not forced to boycott the polling which could affect the winning prospects of National Conference.
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