Bukhari, Azad’s parties fail to make a mark
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, June 5: Despite National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah losing to Independent candidate, Abdul Rashid Sheikh, by a huge margin, in Baramulla constituency, his party took lead in 34 Assembly segments while its rival parties led in only six segments across 54 segments of three Parliamentary constituencies of Baramulla, Srinagar and Anantnag-Rajouri.
Sheikh, who polled 4.72 lakh votes, defeated Abdullah by a margin of over 2 lakh votes. He took lead in 14 Assembly segments of Karnah, Trehgam, Kupwara, Lolab, Langate, Sopore, Rafiabad, Uri, Baramulla, Gulmarg, Wagoora-Kreeri, Sonawari, Bandipora and Beerwah by securing 20061, 19619, 22489, 28120, 40226, 25099, 41041, 28644, 34357, 25720, 20685, 29931, 42404 and 27469 votes respectively in these segments.
The National Conference secured 11, 47, 041 votes out of 27,30,740 votes polled in three Parliamentary constituencies of Baramulla (268339), Srinagar (356866) and Anantnag-Rajouri (521836). In Baramulla it took the lead in Pattan, Gurez and Budgam Assembly segments only by securing 21533, 3977 and 30529 votes respectively.
In Srinagar, the NC took lead in Kangan, Ganderbal, Hazratbal, Khanyar, Habba Kadal, Lal Chowk, Chanpora, Zadibal, Eidgah, Central Shalteng, Khansahib, Charar-e-Sharief, Chadoora, Pampore, Tral, and Shopian Assembly segments securing 23841, 31895, 20120, 15346, 11165, 19282, 11951, 26339, 10943, 18322, 24129, 28097, 26692, 17278, 18696 and 21040 votes respectively.
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In Anantnag-Rajouri, the NC took lead in 15 Assembly segments of Zainpora, DH Pora, Kulgam, Devsar, Dooru, Kokernag, Shangas, Pahalgam, Nowshera, Rajouri, Budhal, Thannamandi, Surankote, Poonch-Haveli and Mendhar by securing 18945, 28460, 19864, 16545, 29832, 25542, 19300, 15601, 27388, 35339, 44920, 53751, 49425, 47424 and 41796 votes respectively.
The PDP has secured 4, 35, 980 votes out of 27,30,740 votes polled in three Parliamentary constituencies of Baramulla, Srinagar and Anantnag-Rajouri. Its candidates Mir Mohammad Fayaz, Waheed Ur Rehman Parra and Mehbooba Mufti secured 27, 488, 168450 and 240042 votes respectively.
It took lead in two Assembly segments of Srinagar constituency- Pulwama and Rajpora by securing 22954 and 24119 votes respectively. The two constituencies fall in South Kashmir district of Pulwama. The PDP did well in the rural areas of Srinagar constituency but performed badly in Srinagar city which has always remained the NC bastion. It has not taken lead in any of the Assembly segments of North and Central Kashmir.
However, the PDP is trying to make a come-back after its majority of the leaders left the party, post 2019 leading to a leadership vacuum. At the same time NC which did well in these polls, was part of INDIA bloc and was supported by Congress, CPI (M) and Awami National Conference in all three constituencies.
The Peoples Conference chairman, Sajjad Lone who secured 173239 votes from Baramulla constituency failed to make any mark and took lead only in his home town Assembly segment of Handwara where he polled 26775 votes. He was supported by the Apni Party which has tall leaders like Dilwar Mir and Ghulam Hassan Mir in the constituency. Lone, however, was ahead of Abdullah in Karnah, Trehgam and Langate Assembly segments where he secured 6726, 13250 and 19676 votes respectively.
The Apni Party led by Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari secured 208149 votes in two constituencies of Srinagar and Anantnag-Rajouri. The party failed to take the lead in any of the 36 Assembly segments of the two constituencies. More shocking for the Party is that they secured only 3101 votes from Chanpora, the home segment of Bukhari where NC secured 11951 votes.
Its candidate from Srinagar, Mohammad Ashraf Mir secured 65954 votes. In Anantnag-Rajouri constituency its candidate Zaffar Iqbal Khan Manhas secured 142195 votes. He secured around 42,000 votes from South Kashmir’s 11 Assembly segments and around one lakh votes from 7 segments of Rajouri and Poonch districts where Apni Party ally BJP has a huge vote base.
The Democratic Progressive Azad Party led by former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad failed to secure a lead in any of the 36 Assembly segments in Srinagar and Anantnag-Rajouri constituencies where it polled over 40, 000 votes only.
Its Srinagar candidate Amir Ahmad Pandit secured 15, 104 votes and he failed to cross 3-digit mark in 12 Assembly segments and secured only 130 votes in Chanpora with highest in Khanyar where he got 2599 votes.
Its candidate in Anantnag-Rajouri constituency Mohammad Saleem Parray secured 25561 votes only. He secured the highest votes of 4535 in the Devsar segment where his close relative was a former MLA. He failed to cross the 3-digit mark in 11 Assembly segments despite an aggressive campaign by Ghulam Nabi Azad. Shockingly, he secured over 2000 votes in 7 Assembly segments of Rajouri and Poonch districts.
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