ANANTNAG: Political activities are yet to pick up though main parties are organising small meetings in this south Kashmir assembly constituency of Anantnag, where bypoll will be held on June 19 to decide the fate of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
The constituency witnessed uncontested polls until 1972 when for the first time people voted and elected their respresentative.
However, so far only Congress nominee Hilal Ahmad Shah, who lost to late Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed of Peoples Democratic Party in 2014 elections by a margin of 6,028 votes, has filed his nomination papers. Earlier in 2008 polls, Sayeed had defeated National Conference candidate Mirza Mehbooba Beg, chief spokesperson of the PDP in 2008. Sayeed polled 12,439 votes against 7,548 votes secured by Beg.
According to officials, 7 forms have so far been issued to different candidates who wanted to contest the poll. Ms Mufti, who has already been nominated as candidate of the PDP has yet to file her papers. She is presently representing Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in the Lok Sabha. Though the constituency has never been a stronghold of any particular political party, but for the last two elections in 2008 and 2014, Sayeed represented the seat in the Assembly.
So far PDP, NC and Congress organised some small meetings seeking votes for their party candidates. The Bharatiya Janata Party, a partner in the alliance government with PDP in the state, has already announced to support Ms Mufti.
A correspondent who visited some areas of the constituency saw people less concerned about the polls so far. However, local resident said the political activities will pick when senior leaders of political parties will start campaigning.
The Chief Election Commission (CEC) had actually announced byelection in the constituency on May 16. However, on the request of state Government that situation for election was not conducive because of Handwara incident, where five people were killed in security forces firing, CEC postponed the polls, evoking sharp criticism from NC and Congress.
The NC and Congress alleged that bypoll in the constituency was suspended as PDP smell defeat. However, PDP refuted these allegations and said it did not want to put the lives of people at risk.
Now the CEC has announced polling on June 19 in the constituency, where Shamas Uddin of National Conference of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad faction was declared elected uncontested in 1962.
Bakshi headed the NC after Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, then prime Minister was ousted and imprisoned by Congress government at the centre in 1953. Bakshi later took over as Prime Minister of the state.
Shamas Uddin was again declared uncontested in 1967 but this time on the ticket of Congress as in 1965 majority of the NC leaders of Bakshi faction joined Congress.
Shamas Uddin made a hat-trick in 1972 when he was again elected after defeating Piarya Lal Handoo by a margin of 2,018 votes. However, situation changed in the entire Jammu and Kashmir, so in the Anantnag constituency, when Sheikh Abdullah joined the national mainstream following Indira-Sheikh accord in 1975 and decided to contest all elections in the State.
Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beg, close confident of Sheikh won the seat after he defeated Congress candidate Sheikh Abdul Majeed by a margin of 6,630 votes.
He represented the seat again in 1983 when he defeated Ghulam Hassan Naik of Congress by a margin of 5,612 votes.
However, it was independent Mohammad Sayeed Shah who turned the table and won from the seat after he defeated Congress candidate Mirza Masood Beg in 1987 by a highest margin so far of 16,705 votes.
Safar Ali Beg won the seat for NC in 1996 when the elections in the state were held after about six-year-long Governor rule. He defeated Bashir Dada of Awami League (AL) an organisation headed by surrendered militant late Mohamamad Yousuf Parray alias Kuka Parray, Beg got 6,066 votes while Dada polled 5448 votesd.
NC retained the seat in 2002 when Dr Beg got elected after he defeated Liyakat Ali Khan of AL by a margin of 6,028 votes. (AGENCIES)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel