Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 26: Several candidates from major political parties including former Ministers, sitting and ex-legislators and former MPs not only lost the recent Assembly elections but had to face humiliation and embarrassment at the hands of electorates by faring very badly at the hustings. Number of such candidates was very high and some of them even finished way behind the ordinary Independent candidates.
Several former Ministers including Gulchain Singh Charak, Raman Mattoo, Rangil Singh, Jatinder Singh alias Babu Singh, Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Suman Bhagat, Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Sofi, former MPs Tarlok Singh Bajwa and Mirza Abdul Rashid, sitting legislators RS Sharma, Ravinder Sharma and Bimla Luthra were among a number of candidates, who even didn’t figure even as runners-up in their segments.
A constituency wise analysis of the election results revealed that candidates of prominent political parties like NC, PDP, Congress, BJP and BSP were seen nowhere in the race in the elections and had to content with three digit votes.
Works Minister in Ghulam Nabi Azad Government in 2006 and Congress candidate from Bishnah Gulchain Singh Charak was relegated to fourth place in the constituency notwithstanding the fact that he was contesting the seat for second time. He polled just 3272 votes as against 29380 secured by the winner Dr Kamal Arora of NC.
PDP candidate Rangil Singh, who was Education Minister in 1987 Farooq Abdullah led NC-Congress coalition Government polled 502 votes only in Basohli Assembly constituency of Kathua district and finished sixth behind two Independent candidates-Rajinder Singh and Darshan Kumar, who had secured 2550 and 508 votes.
Raman Mattoo, who was also a Minister in 2002 Government and was contesting Habbakadal seat in Srinagar as Congress candidate got just 973 votes to finish fourth. He had won Habbakadal seat in 2002.
Yet another Minister in 2002 dispensation and Congress candidate from Kathua-Jatinder Singh alias Babu Singh mustered only 7195 votes and stood fourth behind BJP, BSP and an Independent. He was contesting third consecutive election from Kathua.
Technical Education, Youth Services and Sports Minister in Omar Abdullah Government and Congress candidate from Suchetgarh RS Chib lost yet another election of his political career finishing third in the constituency. He has lost several elections from Suchetgarh as well as Parliamentary polls from Jammu-Poonch, Udhampur-Doda and Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seats. He is yet to win any election in his political career excepting that of MLC, who are elected by the MLAs.
PCC chief Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz’s son, Salman Soz finished third in Baramulla in his electoral debut.
Another heavyweight in Suchetgarh, PDP candidate and former Rajya Sabha member Tarlok Singh Bajwa finished fourth.
Health and Medical Education Minister in the outgoing dispensation and two times Congress MLA from Uri– Taj Mohi-ud-Din was relegated to third position in his constituency behind first time PDP contestant Aijaz Ali Khan. Forest Minister in 2002 dispensation and PDP candidate Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Sofi also finished third at Handwara constituency. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister and three times NC MLA from Kupwara not only lost the election but finished third behind People’s Conference and PDP.
Suman Bhagat, who was Health and Medical Education Minister in Azad Government, finished fifth in RS Pura constituency as Congress candidate. She secured 3665 votes only as against 11140 taken by Congress rebel and sitting MLC, BR Kundal.
Sitting National Conference MLA in Sopore Mohammad Ashraf Ganie finished fourth polling just 4079 votes even behind an Independent Irshad Rasool Kar.
Another sitting NC MLA from Nowshera constituency in Rajouri district, Radhey Shyam Sharma finished fifth polling just 1099 votes as against 37374 secured by the winner Ravinder Raina of BJP. He stood behind even an Independent candidate Rajinder Kumar, who polled 1208 votes. Congress sitting MLC from the same seat and PCC spokesman Ravinder Sharma stood third with just 5342 votes.
Another sitting MLA Baldev Sharma, who contested election from Reasi as an Independent candidate after being denied mandate by the BJP, polled 2061 votes and finished sixth.
Two times nominated MLA of National Conference and party candidate from Jammu East, Bimla Luthra polled just 261 votes and finished third. Yet another NC candidate Salam Din in Inderwal managed to secured only 267 votes, which were even less than 435 of NOTA. He finished sixth behind two Independent candidates. NC had won Inderwal seat in 1996.
Congress candidate in Bani, Rajnish Sharma alias Mian, son of former Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma, who had switched over to PDP after long association with Congress, finished fifth securing meager 1379 votes. Mian’s brother Subash Sharma, who was PDP candidate, got 1305 votes to finish fifth in Kathua constituency.
BJP’s poster girl in Kashmir Dr Hena Bhat polled only 1359 votes in Amira Kadal segment of Srinagar.
Som Nath, BSP candidate in Samba, who had won the seat in 1996, polled only 2779 votes to finish fifth.
Worthwhile to mention here that BJP won all seven Reserve seats in the State including Chhamb, Raipur Domana, RS Pura, Hiranagar, Ramban, Chenani and Samba.
Iftikhar Hussain Misger, NC candidate in Anantnag against Mufti Mohammad Sayeed secured just 2403 votes. NC candidate and former Lok Sabha member Dr Mehboob Beg had opted out of the race and supported Sayeed.
Sheikh Mohammad Shaffi, Samajwadi Party candidate in Bhaderwah, who father Sheikh Abdul Rehman had won the seat in 1996, polled only 880 votes. NC candidate in Bhaderwah Riaz Anayat Ullah too polled just 880 votes and finished behind an Independent and CPM candidate.
Former Rajya Sabha member and ex-Minister Mirza Abdul Rashid polled just 4888 votes in Rajouri Assembly constituency as National Conference candidate and finished fourth.
Sitting Congress MLA from Ramban (Reserve) seat, Ashok Kumar Bhagat was relegated to third place polling only 5643 votes as against 25349 of BJP and 19985 of NC.
Madan Lal, PDP candidate and Shakti Bala, NC candidate in Chhamb polled just 653 and 236 votes respectively. NC candidate and former Minister Khalid Najib Suhrawardhy lost third consecutive election in Doda finishing third behind BJP and Congress while PDP candidate in Doda, Shahab-ul-Haq secured only 2201 votes. NC candidate Shamshad Bano secured 2203 votes in Gool Arnas constituency, a seat the party had won in 1996.
PDP candidate in Gurez Mohammad Ismail Lone secured only 448 votes. NC and PDP candidates in Hiranagar, Chandu Ram and Suraj Prakash polled 1057 and 992 votes only.
PDP candidate Sarv Dhaman Bhasin polled just 2419 votes in Jammu West. Independent candidate Dr Anil Kumar Dhar, who had resigned as Assistant Professor in the Government Medical College, Jammu to contest election from Jammu West got 446 votes only.
Congress candidate in Kishtwar Nek Ram took 782 votes. Congress candidate in Marh and Nagrota, Balwan Singh and Shivdev Singh finished third and fourth respectively in Marh and Nagrota losing all elections they had contested since 1996.
NC candidate in Raipur Domana, Sat Pal Lakhotra, who had won the seat in 1996 as Janata Dal candidate, polled 2767 votes only.
Congress candidate in Ramnagar Vinod Khajuria took 1384 votes only. NC candidate in Akhnoor, Dr Gafoor Ahmed secured only 859 votes.
NC candidate from Gandhi Nagar Surinder Singh Bunty polled just 1099 votes.
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