Kangan prepares for intense election duel

Kangan, Sep 15: In the Kangan assembly constituency, an interesting contest is on the cards.

National Conference (NC), Jammu and Kashmir’s grand old party will go into polls hoping to retain its bastion.

The party has sent legislators from Kangan on a trot for years.

After delimitation, the Kangan constituency in Ganderbal district has been reserved as a Scheduled Tribe (ST) constituency. NC has fielded Mian Mehar Ali, the son of senior NC leader Mian Altaf Ahmed and a five-time legislator who is now a sitting Member of Parliament (MP).

NC’s traditional rival People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has fielded Syed Jamaat Ali Shaheen, a noted personality of the Waliwar area.

A few other candidates are also in the fray.

Historically the fight on this seat has remained between the NC and the PDP or the Congress and almost each time in the past six decades, NC candidates have emerged victorious.

Kangan assembly segment was represented by senior NC leader and scion of the Mian family, Mian Altaf Ahmed till 2014, the last assembly of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Kangan constituency has 78,904 registered voters, comprising 40,000 males and 38,904 females.

A total of 110 polling stations have been set up to facilitate voting in this area. Mian Mehar Ali who is contesting the elections for the first time will bank on the legacy of his father and the NC cadre.

Compared to other constituencies, Kangan has always witnessed brisk polling. In the recently held parliamentary elections, NC took a lead of over 10,000 votes against the PDP candidate, securing 23,841 votes.

The people of Kangan, particularly in the Gujjar-dominated areas have been loyal to the NC leader Mian Altaf, who has a great influence in the area.

Since Mian Mehar Ali started campaigning, youth are seen joining his rallies.

Political observers said that the PDP has also made some intrusions in Kangan and would give a tough fight to the NC.

In 2014, PDP youth leader Bashir Ahmed Mir gave a tough fight to the NC stalwart Mian Altaf and lost the elections by a close margin of 1500 votes.

Kangan is now an ST seat and that is the reason for Mir not contesting from Kangan and moving to the neighbouring Ganderbal assembly seat.

Instead of Mir, PDP has fielded the local face Syed Jamaat Ali Shaheen from Kangan.

Shaheen is a new entrant in politics and comes from a prominent family background but lacks political experience.

Political observers say that the PDP has managed to involve the youth in the party and owing to the support from several belts in Kangan, has become a real contender.

They said that the non-ST vote share would be a major factor in deciding the election results.

Locals said that though the roads in the constituency have improved, issues like unemployment, absence of bridges, inadequate ration quota, poor electricity infrastructure, absence of health centres in far-flung areas, and no supply of potable water bother the residents.

Campaigning in Kangan, Mehar Ali highlighted the work done by NC and his father for the constituency as an MLA and minister.

On the contrary, PDP’s Jamaat Ali Shaheen said that if elected, he would deliver on everything stated in the PDP’s manifesto and ensure the Kangan constituency becomes a model constituency in Kashmir.

Kangan constituency is scheduled to go for polls in the second phase of the J&K assembly elections on September 25.