Anantnag: The Congress and the National Conference (NC) had after days of deliberations last month announced a seat-sharing pact for the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir. As claimed by their senior leaders, the alliance between the two parties was formed “in the national interest and to help strengthen secular forces in the sensitive state and beyond”.
But it seems it was already too late for the “natural allies” to strike such a deal. At least, here in Anantnag not many voters appear to have been impressed by the move. Apparently understanding the public mood, the Congress has fielded no less a person than its J&K unit chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir to take mainly on People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and other candidates in fray including BJP’s Sofi Muhammad Yusuf on this prestigious seat.
As per the agreement reached between the NC and Congress, the latter had to field ‘weak’ candidates on all the three Lok Sabha seats of the Kashmir Valley including Anantnag and the lone seat of Ladakh in lieu of two seats of Jammu region —Udhampur and Jammu — left for the alliance partner (Congress) to contest on with poise. But there is realization in both the parties that NC’s candidate for Anantnag Justice (retired) Hasnain Masoodi may not be able to attract the voters in large numbers.
In fact, the NC had already announced his nomination and also that of its president Farooq Abdullah and senior party leader and former speaker of the state Assembly Muhammad Akbar Lone for Srinagar and Baramulla seats, respectively when the talks between it and the Congress for entering into “friendly contest” agreement began. “Replacing him would have disheartened this new entrant in the party and created somewhat unpleasant situation which could have been seized by the NC’s bête noire PDP to its benefit,” said a party insider.
Fielding a “weak” candidate by the Congress as well could have also meant leaving the field open to Ms. Mufti who was elected from here with handsome margin in the 2014 elections. Neither the Congress nor the NC could afford it; hence Mr Mir was picked up by the Congress high command to contest from his home constituency.
It appears the decision was taken by mutual understanding.
The Congress wants to leave nothing to chance in Anantnag can be gauged by the fact that its senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad came here all the way from Delhi to be present during the filing of nomination papers by Mr Mir.
Congress sources said that the party will now work hard alongside the NC to ensure Mr Mir’s win to send a strong message to rivals.
