LANGATE, May 20: Having led the election campaign for their father, currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail in a terror-funding case, Engineer Rashid’s two sons — both first-time voters — exercised their franchise with the hope of seeing him emerge successful from the electoral contest and walk out of prison.
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Abdul Rashid Sheikh alias Engineer Rashid, a former two-time MLA who heads the Awami Ittehad Party, is one of 22 candidates in the fray from Baramulla, where polling is underway in the fifth phase on Monday.
Rashid was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2019 on charges of terror-funding activities, becoming the first mainstream leader to be held under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
His two sons Abrar Rashid and Asrar Rashid, who led the election campaign for their father, expressed confidence that the massive crowds witnessed in the rallies will turn into votes for Rashid, leading to his release from prison.
“I have full faith that the people who showed so much enthusiasm and determination over the last 10-12 days will come out and cast their votes. I cast my vote for the first time and I voted for my father,” Abrar told reporters.
He said there must be scores of others, even those in the 40-50 age bracket, who will cast their votes for the first time and they will vote for their father.
“My father has been in jail for five years now. His arrest made the election campaign difficult. In the initial days, I thought I was alone but the people kept joining me without any greed and that is when I realised that not only north Kashmir but the entire Kashmir stands with me,” Abrar said.
Rashid won the Langate Assembly segment in 2008 and 2014 and also unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Parliamentary elections. While he leads the Awami Ittehad Party, he is contesting these elections as an Independent.(PTI)
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