Uncle pitted against nephew in J-K's Gujjar bastion

Budhal (Rajouri), Sep 23: Known as the heartland of Gujjars, the Budhal assembly seat in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district is witnessing a direct fight between BJP's Choudhary Zulfikar Ali and his nephew and NC candidate Javaid Iqbal Choudhary.

Ali is a former two-time MLA and ex-minister, while Choudhary has served as Block Development Council (BDC) member and chairman.

The Budhal seat, reserved for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) community, is one of the 26 constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir set to go to the polls in the second phase on September 25.

"Although it is a four-cornered contest involving the BJP, NC, PDP, and BSP candidates, it is essentially a direct fight between Choudhary Zulfikar Ali of the BJP and his nephew Javed Iqbal Choudhary of the NC. It is a tough contest," political expert Vikas Kumar said.

Ali, a veteran Gujjar politician, has contested elections from the region three times, winning twice in 2008 and 2014 from the erstwhile Darhal seat, and has served as a minister in the BJP-PDP coalition government. He joined the BJP in August this year.

"I have always worked for the people, and my experience speaks for itself. I am confident I will win, and the BJP will form the government," Ali said, praising the saffron party for securing long-sought ST reservation for Gujjars and Bakerwals.

Choudhary is determined to challenge his uncle.

"The people deserve a leader who will actually work for their welfare. Lack of development during my uncle's tenure is proof enough," he said during a campaign event.

"We will win elections with support of the people, who are against those who failed this constituency on the development and progress front", Choudhary said.

The others in the contest from this seat are Guftar Ahmed of the PDP and Abdul Rashid of the BSP. Ahmed, a young tribal activist, calls for an end to dynastic politics in the region.

Budhal's electorate is primarily concerned with issues of infrastructure, healthcare, education, and tourism. The region's poor roads, especially the Khastahal-Khwas route, and the demand to connect Budhal with Shopian, remain key issues.

Voters are also pressing for Kotranka to be declared a sub-district and the establishment of a degree college.

"We need a leader who will deliver on development promises," local resident Abdul Gani Choudhary said, adding, "roads, healthcare, and education are our primary concerns."

"Many schools, especially in Khawas, are in a dilapidated condition," another voter said.

There are 95,072 eligible voters, including 44,761 women, in the seat and 136 polling stations.

The seat was carved out during the delimitation process.