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Rush for party ticket in NC

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR AUG 20 . The headquarters of the ruling National Conference (NC) here has been besieged by party workers seeking the ticket for the coming Assembly elections, though the leadership is yet to finalise the list of candidates for the first phase of polling.

Almost everyday, the city's Civil Lines area wakes up to reverberating slogans from hundreds of NC workers, particularly from North Kashmir which is going to the polls in the first phase on September 16. The situation this time is in total contrast to 1996 when the NC leadership pleaded with the candidates to contest. This time the `battle' for securing the ticket is being fought, literally, in the Nawai Subh complex headquarters of the NC and the residences of the Chief Minister and former party president, Farooq Abdullah, and the general secretary, Sheikh Nazir Ahmed. The supporters of the prospective candidates have, at times, come to blows.

The notification for the first phase of polls, covering Kupwara, Baramulla, Rajouri, Poonch, Leh and Kargil, is being issued on Thursday and so processions of party workers from these areas are being taken out in the city. On Monday, hundreds of workers from Sogam appeared near the residence of the party general secretary and at the Gupkar Road residence of the Chief Minister, demanding a ticket for the Youth NC leader, Nasir Sogami. They levelled serious charges against the sitting MLA.

The same is the case with the supporters of a former Minister, Ghulam Qadir Mir, who are opposing the sitting MLA, Saifullah Mir. About 1,000 activists have come all the way from Rajouri and Poonch to rally behind their candidates. Interestingly, those who refused to accept the ticket in 1996 fearing elimination at the hands of militants are now eagerly seeking it.

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