Hazratbal without Hazratbal!

Srinagar, Oct 12: In a twist that would make even the most seasoned bureaucrats scratch their heads, the recent delimitation exercise in Srinagar has given birth to a peculiar situation: the Hazratbal assembly constituency now exists without actually including Hazratbal itself.

Yes, you read that right. The area housing the revered Hazratbal shrine, a symbol of religious significance perched on the left bank of the Dal Lake, now finds itself snugly tucked into the Zadibal assembly constituency.

“It's like they have created a Dal Lake without the water,” chuckles Muhammad Yusuf, a shopkeeper from the area. “We have got a Hazratbal constituency that’s missing its heart - the actual Hazratbal. It's political geography at its finest, wouldn't you say?”

In the recently concluded assembly elections, bewildered residents of Hazratbal found themselves casting votes for candidates in Zadibal.

The irony was not lost on 68-year-old Fatima Begum, who said, “I've lived in Hazratbal all my life, and suddenly I'm voting in Zadibal. Next thing you know, they will tell us Dal Lake is in Jammu!”

Adding another layer to this administrative onion, out of the 108 areas listed under the Hazratbal assembly constituency on the Election Commission’s website, the word ‘Hazratbal’ is conspicuously absent.

It is as if Hazratbal has become the constituency that dare not speak its name.

Meanwhile, three areas traditionally considered part of Hazratbal - Pathan Mohalla, Banday Lane, and Dhobi Ghat - have been officially relocated to the Zadibal constituency.

Election officials, caught in the crossfire of confusion and sarcasm, have been tight-lipped about the rationale behind this geographical juggling act.

As residents grapple with their new electoral identity crisis, some are taking a philosophical approach. After all, what’s in a name? Although, it would be nice if the name at least corresponded to the place.

The situation has left many wondering about the future of local representation and the potential for voter confusion in subsequent elections.

Some residents have even suggested a novel solution: renaming the Zadibal constituency to “Hazratbal-but-not-really” or “Hazratbal-in-exile”.

Despite this geographical confusion, the elections proceeded with some noteworthy outcomes.

In Hazratbal, long considered a bellwether for regional politics, National Conference's Salman Ali Sagar emerged victorious with a commanding lead of 10,295 votes over People’s Democratic Party Asiea Naqash.

Sagar’s total of 18,890 votes in this strategically significant constituency has drawn attention far beyond Srinagar's city limits.

Meanwhile, in the Zadibal constituency, which now ironically includes the Hazratbal area, NC’s chief spokesman and close confidante of Omar Abdullah, Tanvir Sadiq delivered a stunning performance.

Sadiq not only won but did so with the highest margin across all eight constituencies in Srinagar, beating his nearest rival by an impressive 16,173 votes.

Sadiq’s landslide victory, amassing 22,189 votes compared to former MLA Abid Ansari of the People's Conference's 6016, has sent ripples through the political establishment.

While his rise in the NC ranks had been closely watched, the scale of his triumph has exceeded even the most optimistic predictions.

The Delimitation Commission was constituted by the Government of India, in the exercise of powers conferred by Section 3 of the Delimitation Act, 2002 (33 of 2002), for the purpose of delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir.

The commission associated in its work, five members of Lok Sabha elected from Jammu and Kashmir. These Associate Members were nominated by the Speaker of Lok Sabha.

The Delimitation Commission was entrusted with the work of delimiting the assembly and parliamentary constituencies in J&K on the basis of the 2011 Census and in accordance with the provisions of Part-V of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 (34 of 2019) and the provisions of Delimitation Act, 2002(33 of 2002).