In North Kashmir final phase, Lone, Rashid face acid test; Jamaat braces for future arc

North Kashmir, which comprises Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipore districts, reflects the full gamut of Kashmir politics. From separatists to mainstream parties specified arsenic the National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), each person a beingness successful the region. Both the Peoples Conference (PC) and the AIP started from, and person their halfway bases in, Kupwara district.

North Kashmir was an NC stronghold earlier the emergence of the PDP successful 1999. In the 2002 J&K Assembly polls, the NC secured 9 seats successful the region. In 2008, the NC’s tally came down to 7 seats, portion the PDP won six seats. In the past Assembly elections held successful 2014, the NC’s tally dropped further down to 3 portion the PDP managed to get seven.

Amidst this, governmental dynamics successful northbound Kashmir person changed drastically successful caller years.

In 2002, Sofi Mohidin, an Independent candidate, who was an adjutant of Lone, won from the Handwara Assembly seat. Lone was astatine the clip associated with the separatist grouping Hurriyat Conference and not progressive successful mainstream politics. When Mohidin entered the fray, helium was dubbed Lone’s “proxy”. This led to a enactment wrong the Hurriyat, which has stayed distant from elections, and adjacent led to its divided arsenic separatist person Syed Ali Shah Geelani wanted Lone and the Peoples Conference to disassociate with the grouping.

Lone near the Hurriyat, and successful 2014, joined mainstream electoral politics. While Lone won from the Handwara seat, his enactment workfellow Bashir Ahmad Dar secured the Kupwara seat.

In 2008, Rashid, a authorities worker with Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC), made a astonishment introduction into electoral authorities and won from the Langate Assembly spot successful Kupwara district.

While Lone has built his pockets of enactment successful Kupwara, Rashid managed to summation immoderate pursuing crossed the 3 North Kashmir districts.

For Lone and Rashid, who are some facing charges from the PDP and the NC of being the BJP’s “proxies” successful the Valley, the last signifier of polls holds important significance.

In the caller Lok Sabha polls, Lone mislaid to Rashid successful the Baramulla constituency. He is present contesting from 2 Assembly seats — Handwara and Kupwara, pulling retired each the stops to clinch both.

Until a fewer months ago, the AIP was seen arsenic a tiny enactment that did not person a beingness beyond Rashid’s autochthonal Langate constituency. That changed aft the Lok Sabha elections erstwhile Rashid took the pb successful 15 of the 18 Assembly segments which are portion of the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat.

After his triumph successful the Lok Sabha polls, Rashid is hoping to consolidate his party’s base. This time, the AIP, which is not yet a registered governmental party, has backed the candidates successful 35 seats crossed the Kashmir division, 15 of which autumn successful North Kashmir.

Jamaat-e-Islami, the banned socio-political organisation, besides has a beingness successful the 3 districts of North Kashmir. A Jamaat panel, which is engaged successful talks with the Centre, has fielded 5 candidates for the 3rd phase.

The result of the canvass results and the votes polled by its candidates whitethorn besides find the governmental absorption of the Jamaat successful future. A greenish awesome by its voters and cadre would bespeak that the Jamaat mightiness proceed its talks with New Delhi. If the result is otherwise, determination could beryllium differences among the organisation connected the attack to elections.