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| Battleground shifts northwards | | PDP-NC fight it out, test for Sajjad factor | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, May 8: After balloting in the grand Srinagar-Budgam constituency, the focus has now turned to all important north Kashmir parliamentary elections where most intriguing of the six electoral battles will be fought on May 13 to mark an end to the staggered five phased polls in the state.
Reports reaching said that there are thirteen candidates to vie for the supremacy but the contest is going to be a triangular among two old stalwarts of Kashmir politics with long experience— Dilawar Mir of opposition PDP, Sharief-u-din Shariq of ruling National Conference— and Sajjad Gani Lone, who exited the Pro-freedom camp to prove his point and represent “true” voice of people in parliament that has 534 MPs from various other states excluding Jammu and Kashmir.
Sajjad paid heed to his ‘consciousness’ and plunged into politics that once he advocated people to stay away. He has asserted to contest polls as part of new strategy not ‘ideology’ and on time will tell the verdict by the people and correctness or otherwise about his decision.
Dilawar Mir, an NC rebel and now a close aide of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, has political influence over parts in the three districts especially Baramulla. Even though people in Rafiabad, his home constituency, voted against him last time, he may likely draw substantial votes in the district including the Shia dominated areas given the influence of his fellow NC rebel and party candidate from Srinagar-Budgam, Moulvi Iftikhar Hussein Ansari.
Sharif Din Shariq who rides on coalition power may gather substantial votes in Bandipora especially after Usman Majeed former influential renegade turned politician, joined Congress. Besides Shariq has his support base in Kupwara district and may also consume some votes in Baramulla especially after NC faired better in assembly polls.
The constituency is spread over three districts, Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara with fifteen assembly segments including Karnah, Kupwara, Lolab, Handwara, Langate, Uri, Rafiabad, Sopore, Sangrama, Baramulla, Gulmarg, Pattan, Gurez, Bandipora, Sonawari. Barring Baramulla, the two constituencies are not prone to boycott and actually, Bandipora set the trend in assembly polls in last year that eventually saw the National Conference cobbling alliance with congress and putting separatist on the back foot.
The Parliamentary constituency has a total electorate of 10, 54,086, which includes 1,627 service electors. Out of the total registered voters, 5,49,778 are male and 5,04,308 female who will exercise their franchise in the Lok Sabha Elections 2009.
The constituency has been predominantly held by National Conference candidates after the first Lok sabha election in 1967.
In 1967 and 1971 midterm elections, Baramulla Parliamentary constituency was represented by Syed Ahmad Aga of the Congress. In 1977 elections, the seat was won by Abdul Ahad of the National Conference while as in the midterm 1980 election, Mubarak Shah of NC emerged as victorious. In 1984 and 1989, the seat was won by Professor Saifuddin Soz on National Conference ticket while in 1996 the seat went to Ghulam Rasool Kar of congress while as in 1998 the seat was wrested by Professor Saif-ud-din Soz of NC while the constituency was represented by Abdul Rashid Shaheen of the National Conference since 1999.
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