Srinagar: Not sure of his victory from the family bastion Ganderbal, in the run up to 2014 assembly elections, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the working president of ruling National Conference (NC) has decided to contest from Beerwah of central Kashmir Budgam district and from Sonwar constituency of Srinagar district.
The decision is being read as a huge sign of the ‘nervousness’ of fallout of his poor performance as the chief minister during his six year rule. Many believe that National Conference will receive a drubbing in the upcoming assembly elections and that is why Omar does not want to take the risk of fighting from a constituency, where he would have faced a tough fight from his rival from People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and where his chances of winning were bleak. Analysts believe the party this time feared that he (Omar) may lose the election from the seat, which can prove to be a major embarrassment for him and the party, hence fielded him from other constituencies instead of Ganderbal.
What worries the NC is that its disgruntled leaders will be contesting the elections separately from this seat instead of supporting the NC.
Shaikh Gulam Ahmad Saloora, who had been the NC loyalist, has decided to contest the assembly elections as an independent candidate from the constituency.
Saloora, who had parted ways with NC, says he will file his nomination papers on Monday to contest from the Ganderbal constituency.
Congress, on the other hand has given the mandate to Mohammad Yusuf Bhat from Ganderbal. Bhat had been the ardent NC worker before he parted ways with the party, accusing Abdullah family for alleged corruption, after a worker Haji Mohammad Yousuf died in police custody, who had been arrested from Chief Minister’s residence.
These two are likely to eat into a major part of the vote share of the ruling NC in Ganderbal, which was once considered a bastion for the Abdullah family.
The PDP has given the mandate to Qazi Mohammad Afzal, who defeated Omar Abdullah in 2002 Assembly elections.
The anti-incumbency factor is also believed has become a cause of concern for the ruling party. In the recently held parliamentary elections, PDP had taken a lead of 2913 votes in the constituency. The opposition party got 13220 votes while NC bagged 10307 votes.
But, despite the fact that Omar having abandoned Ganderbal, a stronghold of NC and bastion of Abdullah dynasty, that was known as ‘king’s constituency’ as NC’s chief ministerial candidate used to contest and get elected to state assembly from this seat, political analysts feel that keeping the track record of National Conference’s six years rule in sight, it will be in no way a cakewalk for Omar Abdullah to win from either of the constituencies.
Pertinently Ganderbal seat was represented by ruling NC patriarch and former Chief Minister late Shaikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1977. It has also been represented by Farooq Abdullah, the three-time chief minister of the State in 1983, 1987 and 1996. Omar had lost 2002 Assembly elections from the constituency to PDP candidate Qazi Mohammad Afzal by 2870 votes.
