Record poll percentage on expected lines

The record 59 poll percentage in Baramulla parliamentary constituency (PC) on May 20 was on expected lines. The trend set by a significant voter turn out of 38 percent in Srinagar constituency on May 13 got further momentum in Baramulla.

Voters of Baramulla constituency are  widely being hailed for coming out in large numbers to cast their votes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha are among the top leaders who congratulated them for such a record polling. The polling for the parliamentary polls was the first major election in north Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcating of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories on August 5, 2019.

None among the contesting parties including the like minded parties of BJP said during the campaigning that they support the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the J&K state into two union territories.

They all said that they are against what happened on August 5, 2019. However, like in Srinagar parliamentary constituency, every party in Baramulla too tried to get maximum support of voters by alleging  rival parties are having some kind of  connection with the BJP and thereby having an indirect role in the abrogation of Article 370.

The record poll percentage also indicates that how tough the contest is in the  Baramulla constituency. Supporters of major parties  voted in large number in a bid to ensure the victory of their respective candidates. The presence of  Omar Abdullah (National Conference), Sajad Gani Lone ( People's Conference), jailed Engineer Rashid ( Awami Itthehad Party) and Fayaz Ahmad Mir ( PDP)  in electoral fray particularly generated lot of interest and enthusiasm.

This was also evident during the weeks long campaigning. In the backdrop of the abrogation of Article 370, Omar Abdullah, the National Conference (NC) Vice President tried to tell the voters that it was a fight of his party  against all other parties backed by BJP and central government. He alleged that NC was being targeted since the party has always stood and fought for the cause of special identity of Jammu and Kashmir and the rights of its  people.

Omar showed no mercy while criticising PDP, which  is a part of People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) with NC.  NC circles believe that right now it is not the PDP only creating problems for their party on the electoral front but other leaders, who in the past were part of the PDP are also doing so.

According to them, these politicians after leaving PDP and forming their own party or joining other parties  have become like minded politicians for the BJP leadership.  The NC circles say that  these politicians were nowhere in sight during the heydays of NC's total political supremacy but  were later mentored, groomed and patronised by PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in  his party.

PDP President Mehbooba Mufti avoided direct confrontation with NC in this election. She said  that the ongoing polls is not a  PDP versus NC contest. "The polls is an opportunity to send strong leaders in Parliament, who can effectively give voice to the pain of J&K people there," she said.

Omar, by contesting from Baramulla instead of Srinagar, played a big political gamble. He tried to craft his campaign as per the requirements on the ground and targeted his rivals accordingly. The NC Vice President viewed that BJP despite not fielding its own candidates in Kashmir is very much in contest through its proxies.

Senior BJP leaders did some campaigning in north Kashmir telling people to vote for their like minded candidates and not for NC or PDP candidates. However, the BJP never publicly disclosed who these like minded parties or candidates are in Kashmir. Privately they are telling their workers for whom to vote. Even the like minded parties till now have preferred BJP not supporting them openly to avoid electoral damage to them.

Omar Abdullah and Sajad Lone remained engaged in war of words during the campaigning. Lone too did hectic campaigning across the constituency. Several times he was joined by Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, President of Apni Party, which supports him in the constituency, in the rallies and roadshows.

Entry of jailed Awami Ittihad Party (AIP) leader Engineer Rashid into the contest also raised the level of campaigning. His two sons, Abrar Rashid and Asrar Rashid,  addressed series of election rallies and roadshows to garner support for their father. Ghulam Nabi Azad's Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) supported Engineer Rashid in Baramulla.

It is not only the Engineer Rashid's two sons who remained on the forefront of campaigning in Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti's daughter and her media advisor, Iltija Mufti has been actively participating in the campaigning.

Omar Abdullah's two sons, Zahir Abdullah and Zamir Abdullah, also accompanied their father during campaigning. The junior Abdullahs have been telling media that they have no intention to join politics but are supporting their father.

Participation of Iltija in the campaigning and presence of Omar's sons in NC's rallies is being criticised by rival parties. They have been describing it as yet another attempt by the two political families to promote their younger members in politics. However, both PDP and NC remained unfazed by the criticism. And subsequently neither Iltija nor Zamir and Zahir curtailed their presence during campaigning.

May be because PDP and NC leadership feel that "such type of biased criticism is being mostly ignored by the people in Kashmir." Political circles believe that whether PDP wins or loses, but Iltija has significantly managed to get politically introduced to the common people at grassroots level during the campaigning particularly in south Kashmir, Poonch and Rajouri.

Both Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah in recent past  have reacted to the allegations of dynasty politics. "A politician's family member can only succeed in politics if he or she gets the support and votes of people. Politics is not like any other profession. A businessman's family member can easily become a businessperson or an actor's family member an actor. But a politician's son or daughter can not easily become a leader. For that they need the support and votes of people," he said. Omar said Zamir and Zahir are helping NC in legal matters. "

We have not given them the mandate," he said. The NC Vice President during the campaigning tried to reach to the remotest corners of the Baramulla constituency.

While some guesses are being made in the political circles as who can be the winner after the record polling but the result will be finally known on June 4. Till then the suspense will continue.

Author is senior editor, Greater Kashmir