Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Apr 15: Former Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) president, Dr Farooq Abdullah, today won the by-poll for Srinagar Parliam-entary seat, defeating People’s Democratic Party’s Nazir Ahmed Khan by a margin of over 10776 votes.
Abdullah got 48,555 votes while Khan got 37,779. There were nine candidates contesting the seat, but it was a direct contest between Abdullah and Khan.
Out of the other candidates Bikram Singh of J&K Liberal Democratic Party polled 497 votes, Chetan Sharma of Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha polled 198 votes, Sajad Reshi of Rashtriya Samajwadi Party (S) polled 155 votes and Independent candidates Sajjad Hussain Beigh, Ghulam Hassan Dar, Farooq Ahmad Dar and Mehraj Khurshid Malik polled 363, 199, 630 and 575 votes respectively.
Out of the total 89883 votes polled, 88951 were found valid while 932 voters used the NOTA option.
Out of the total 974 migrant votes polled, 952 votes were found valid. Out of these NC candidate polled 184 votes and PDP candidate got 703. Bikram Singh of J&K Liberal Democratic Party polled 20 votes, Chetan Sharma of Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha polled 5 votes, Sajad Reshi of Rashtriya Samajwadi Party (S) 23 votes and Independent candidates Sajjad Hussain Beigh, Ghulam Hassan Dar, Farooq Ahmad Dar and Mehraj Khurshid Malik polled nil, four, five and seven votes respectively. Twenty two migrant voters used NOTA option.
In Kangan 10024 votes were polled in favour of National Conference and 4215 to PDP, in Ganderbal NC got 4455 votes and PDP 4204, in Hazratbal NC got 2237 votes and PDP 2032, in Zadibal NC got 1763 and PDP 1506, in Idgah 295 votes were polled in NC’s favour and 97 in favour of PDP, in Khanyar NC got 1828 votes and PDP 772, in Habba Kadal NC got 1559 votes and PDP 451, in Amira Kadal NC got 1344 votes and PDP 1809, in Sonawar NC got 2234 votes and PDP 2266 in Batamaloo NC got 2119 votes and PDP 2362 in Chadoora NC got 390 votes and PDP 426, in Budgam NC got 8697 votes and PDP 2383, in Beerwah NC got 6672 votes and PDP 6442, in Khan Sahib 3169 votes were polled in favour of NC and 6415 to PDP, while in Chrar-e-Sharief 1597 votes were polled to NC and 1696 to PDP.
NC took a lead of 5809 votes in Kangan over PDP, 251 in Ganderbal, 205 in Hazratbal, 257 in Zadibal, 198 in Idgah, 1056 in Khanyar, 1108 in Habba Kadal, 6314 in Budgam and 230 in Beerwa.
PDP took a lead of 465 over NC in Amira Kadal, 32 in Sonwar, 243 in Batamaloo, 36 in Chadoora, 3246 in Khan Sahib and 99 in Charar-e-Sharief.
By-elections to 2-Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency were held on April 9 recording an overall poll percentage of 7.14%, while re-poll was held in 38 polling stations of district Budgam on April 13, recording an overall poll percentage of 2 percent.
Abdullah, 79, had lost the seat to PDP’s Tariq Hameed Karra in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The seat fell vacant after Karra resigned from the PDP and the Lok Sabha. He later joined the Congress which entered in a pre-poll alliance with the National Conference.
This will be the third term as Lok Sabha member for Abdullah, whose victory is being seen as a major setback for the ruling PDP. He was earlier elected to the Parliament in 1980 and 2009.
The polling for Srinagar was marred by widespread violence. Eight people were killed in police firing and over 200 were injured in clashes between protesters and security forces on the polling day on April 9, which saw low turnout.
Re-polling was held for 38 polling booths on Thursday which had seen most violence – but only 702 people turned up; in many booths, not a single vote was cast.
Speaking to reporters soon after his victory, Abdullah appealed Governor and the President that Governor’s rule be imposed in the State as the PDP-BJP Government has failed to provide security here. “The Governor and President should impose Governor’s rule in the State. The elections in Anantnag should be held under Governor’s rule,” he said.
Thanking the voters for coming out to vote, he said that he had never seen such elections being held in the State where they were was so much fear among people. “People risked their life to vote. The Government failed to provide a peaceful atmosphere for elections,” he said.
The NC president said that his role as Member of Parliament will call all the stakeholders, including Hurriyat, and push for dialogue process to be started for lasting resolution of Kashmir issue. “I will call all the stakeholders, including Hurriyat, to bring a strategy and then put that before the Centre. We will request for a dialogue between India and Pakistan for lasting solution of the Kashmir issue. There is no alternative to dialogue,” he said.
On the video in which a youth from Budgam was tied by Army to their jeep on polling day, Abdullah said that such acts are shameful. “Such acts are very shameful and very bad steps against the democracy. They should not do such things which will add fuel to the fire to make it uncontrollable,” he said.
Dispelling rumours of his resignation, NC president said that he was not going to resign. “I have neither said such a thing nor will I resign,” he said.
On the low turnout, he said that it does not make any difference. “We have seen elections before also where hardly any percentage was there. It does not make any difference. Democracy has been there. What do you say to the people who have voted”, he asked.
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