SRINAGAR, Dec 23:
PDP candidate Ashraf Mir, the first politician to trounce a Chief Minister in Jammu and Kashmir, today said it was an exciting fight and though Omar Abdullah tried his best to win, he was closely connected to people of the constituency and “managed the game”.
“I feel great over my victory and am grateful to God. I was confident earlier also about my win and had predicted it. I had said four years ago that I will win Sonwar and today people made that a reality.
“For me it was not Omar Abdullah. It was somebody from the Sheikh family. No doubt he has some plus points. He was the CM and his father and grandfather had served…
“That was his slight edge which I was discomforted with, but touchwood I have done work from last five years. I could not do much for the people, but I was closely connected to the people of my constituency,” Mir told reporters after his win.
Mir becomes the first person to defeat an incumbent Chief Minister. Although Omar had lost in Ganderbal in 2002 to PDP’s Qazi Mohammad Afzal, he was not Chief Minister at that time.
The PDP leader, who is an MLC, said though the chief minister tried his best to win the seat, the people of the constituency had worked for his win as a team.
“They (people) have helped me, I have helped them. We worked together as a team. This constituency from the last 16 years, was controlled by the NC, being Omar’s home town also.
“But we managed the game. Omar tried his best, we tried our best. As a chief minister the fight was there, but it was an exciting fight,” he said.
Mir said his party has kept doors open for an alliance and will choose the best option to ally with to form the Government in the State.
“In a democracy, we should keep all the doors open. We will be having so many options, but we cannot decide till complete results are out. God willing, in the evening, we will know which way the wind blows. Our leader knows how to play the game and we will see what best option is there for our people, our party and our manifesto,” he said.
Mir said the sentiments among his supporters were high after the win, but had requested them not to incite any trouble.
“In Sonawar constituency, lot of sentiments and emotions are involved, but I will request them to keep a low profile, because these things come and go, but we should be very low and without inciting any trouble,” he said.
Mir defeated Omar by a margin of over 4,700 votes. (AGENCIES)
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