The Hindu : J&K parties assess ground reality for giving tickets

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Saturday, Aug 17, 2002

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J&K parties assess ground reality for giving tickets

By Our Staff Reporter

Jammu Aug.16. With less than a week left for the notification for filling of nomination papers or the six border districts, last minute efforts by the ticket aspirants are on to get their names in the final list. People from the border districts of the State are beelining the provincial offices of respective parties.

The six border districts which go to the polls in the first stage are Rajouri , Poonch, Baramullah , Kupwara , Kargil and Leh. The date from the filing of the nomination starts on 22 August. The senior leaders of the main political parties are also making sure that the persons they give party mandate have a factor of winnable probability in their favour.

For this purpose the parties are deciding on the basis of ground reports collected in the last few days. Rajouri district has four assembly segments namely Kalakot, Rajouri, Dharhal , Nowshera , Budhal. With the exception of Kalakote and Nowshera where Congress candidate was returned National Conference won the other seats in the 1996 Assembly elections. The neighbouring Poonch district has three segments namely Surankote, Mendhar and Poonch Haveli. Here also all the seats were won by the National Conference.

Ruling party sources told The Hindu that the National Conference is trying to strike a formidable balance between Pahari and Gujjar votebank to repeat its performance. Sources added that the key role in the selection of party candidates will be played by senior leader Mohd.Shaffi Uri the present Education minister in the cabinet.

The Congress Party is trying to gain a foothold in the area where the party once had a strong appeal . Party sources say that under the directives of party high command two AICC senior leaders namely Satyajit Gaekwad and Mukul Wasnik toured the Rajouri-Poonch extensively in the last few days. Sources added that the party is pinning hopes on former speaker of J&K assembly and one of the senior most leader of the area Chodhary Mohd. Aslam for turning the turtles in party's favour in the elections . Last time the senior leader had himself been narrowly lost to the National Conference candidates Mushtaq Bukhari .

In largely less-discussed Ladakh region the main fight is between ruling National Conference and Congress . In total Ladakh there are four seats in the State Assembly. Leh district which has two seats in the state assembly namely Leh and Nobra. Both the seats have been Congress bastions for very long. Last time Leh was won by Congress where as Nobra seat was won by the National Conference. The support of Ladakh Buddhist Association becomes crucial for winning the two seats in Leh. The Congress party has been enjoying the support of the LBA till now. Congress party sources say that efforts are being made to woo the party stalwart and a former Minister P.Namgyal in the past in the Congress government at the centre to contest the elections and help the party win both the seat.

Kargil district, a Shia dominated area has two Assembly segments namely Kargil and Zanaskar . The politics of the area revolves around two institutions namely Khomani school of learning and Islamic School of learning who hace strong influence among the people of the area. The National Conference has been winning the two Assembly segments and sources say that efforts are on to woo the two schools to give their support to the party in the elections.

A prominent Minister in the State Government Syed Ali Akhoon who came into the limelight during the 1998 Kargil war is likely to be repeated, sources added. As far as the Baramullah and Kupwara twin border districts of the state in between themselves have 14 assembly segments.

In the 1996 assembly elections the ruling national Conference had made a sweep of the all the seats. Ruling National Conference is likely to repeat most of the candidates from the area. Party sources say that though the final selection will be done as expected done by the Chief Minister but Cabinet Ministers namely Chowdhary Ramzan and Mohd. Shaffi Uri will play the main role in the selection of candidates.

Here the Mufti led People Democratic Party has been able to make some presence felt in Baramulla in the last few years. The Vice-President of PDP Muzaffar Beg was a close second in the Parliamentary elections. The former Cabinet minister Saffuddin Soz who has recently joined Congress also has pockets of influence in the area. Congress Sources say that for the finalization of candidates the help of Mr. Soz will only be taken.

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