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| Candidates unfazed by militant infiltration | | Election campaign ending, shutdown beginning today | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Baramulla, May 10: Hectic campaigning by different contestants and leaders of mainstream political parties is reaching its end today---an hour before the hardliner Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani-sponsored shutdown for 50 hours would begin in the evening. In the fifth and the final phase of the democratic process in Jammu & Kashmir, polling is scheduled to be held in three districts of Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipore besides two districts of Leh and Kargil on May 13th.
With no regard for reports of infiltration of armed guerrillas from across the LoC, different political parties are out to woo the voters in the Baramulla and Leh constituencies. Baramulla constituency is spread over 15 Assembly segments in three districts of Bandipora, Baramulla and Kupwara. The NC has won every time it contested from the seat since it started participating in the elections in 1977 following Indira- Sheikh accord in 1975.
NC is again on a strong wicket as the leaders of its alliance partner Congress are also campaigning in favour of NC candidate Sharifuddin Shariq, who is pitted against Peoples Conference (PC) chairman Sajjad Gani Lone, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nominee Mohammad Dilawar Mir and 10 other candidates, including a woman Gausiya Bashir of Bandipore.
Going by the recent Assembly elections, the NC-Congress coalition has won eight segments (Uri, Sopore, Rafiabad, Handwara, Kupwara, Karnah, Sumbal and Gurez) against five segments (Baramulla, Pattan, Kreeri, Bandipore, Lolab) by the PDP. While NC got seven segments, Congress one and PDP five, J&K Democratic Party (Nationalist) candidate Ghulam Hassan Mir has been once again returned in his home segment of Gulmarg and an Independent, namely Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rasheed, scored his maiden victory from Langet. In addition to Congress, DPN and the Independent MLA are also supporting the ruling coalition candidate in North Kashmir today.
Authorities have put up 1470 polling booths for 10, 54,086 electors, including 5, 04,308 women, to elect their representative from among the 13 candidates. However, NC’s Shariefuddin Shariq, PDP’s Dilawar Mir and PC’s Sajjad Lone are widely believed to be the key contestants.
Immediately after the campaigning in the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat, which went to polls on May 7th, was over senior leadership of different mainstream parties went all out to woo the voters in Baramulla constituency.
Undeterred by recent admission by the defence authorities that about 52 heavily armed militants had entered the valley from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in north Kashmir, the leaders visited almost all parts of the constituency, bordering with the PoK. The number of militants, who had crossed over to this side this year, could be much more, official sources said and added that there was, however, little fear of militants among the candidates and the electorate at large in the current Lok Sabha elections.
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