SRINAGAR: Former chief minister and National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah will be contesting two seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections-Ganderbal and Budgam.
He filed his nomination papers from Budgam on Thursday, a day after he had presented his nomination from Ganderbal, considered to be his family bastion. However, his seeking election on two seats has evoked criticism from his political opponents who said he was doubtful of his victory in Ganderbal or, at least, the move smacks lack of confidence in him.
“He would not have filed his nomination papers from Budgam after doing it in Ganderbal a day ago unless he is doubtful of his victory. He claims to enjoy widespread support of the people of Ganderbal. But his decision to try his luck also in Budgam shows a clear lack of confidence in him,” said PDP general secretary Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura.
54-year-old Abdullah had, after presenting his nomination papers in Ganderbal on Wednesday, removed the cap from his head and then with folded hands appealed to the voters to elect him. For his supporters it symbolised his being humble before the people, but his opponents saw in it an acknowledgement of his being on a sticky wicket.
But Mr. Abdullah said that his contesting from two Assembly seats is not a sign of weakness but proves the strength of his National Conference (NC) party which had performed extremely well in the Ganderbal segment of the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency in the recently held general elections and bagged majority of polled votes in Budgam also which is part of the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency.
“My colleagues wanted to show that the NC is not fighting this election from a weak position, but a strong one. My contesting from two seats is not a sign of weakness, but strength, it is the proof of the NC’s strength,” he told reporters after filing nomination papers.
Ganderbal has been a stronghold of the NC. Omar Abdullah, his father Farooq Abdullah and grandfather and legendary Kashmiri leader Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah have represented Ganderbal five times in the past-1977, 1983, 1987, 1996 and 2008. However, as the 2002 Assembly elections sprang many surprises, Omar Abdullah was defeated by PDP’s Qazi Muhammad Afzal by a margin of 2,870 votes. In 2014, when the last Assembly elections were held in the erstwhile state of J&K, the NC wrested the seat back from the PDP after its nominee Ishfaq Ahmad Sheikh defeated Mr. Afzal by a margin of 597 votes.
Budgam is a predominantly Shia segment and the NC is hoping to win from there comfortably because Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi and Aga Syed Mahmood, the scions of its influential Aga clergy family, are backing Mr. Abdullah’s candidacy. The recently held Lok Sabha elections witnessed a mega win for NC’s Mr. Ruhullah. He defeated PDP leader Waheed Ur Rehman Para by over 1.88 lakh votes. Both Mr. Ruhullah and Mr. Mehmood accompanied Mr. Abdullah during his filing the nomination.
However, some Kashmir watchers say that it is not going to be an easy walk for Mr. Abdullah in Budgam for a key member of the Aga clan and Mr. Ruhullah’s cousin Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi joined the PDP last month and is all set to be fielded by the party from Budgam.
But NC has shrugged his presence in the fray off, claiming he will not cut much ice with voters. Mr. Abdullah said if there was any danger of his losing from Budgam, then his party colleagues would not have allowed him to contest from there. He claimed, “Whether it is Baramulla, Srinagar or Anantnag, there is a wave in favour of the NC, and we hope that the party will be successful, and the alliance (Congress) candidates will also win.”
While addressing an impromptu rally of his party workers and supporters in Budgam after his filing the nomination, the NC leader said the fight with New Delhi was for the honour of the people of J&K. "These Assembly elections are a fight for our identity and our honour. If we don’t fight for these, then all the development has no meaning”, he said.
